The Mechanic's Journey
by Repenexus
Summary: Arthur doesn't really want to go on an adventure - he'd much rather be inside and do what he always does (build really cool stuff). Unfortunately, his mom kicked him out of the house for the next few months, so he doesn't have a choice in the matter. Well... he'll figure something out eventually.
1. Beginning

All of his gadgets, gizmos, and bits of homemade technology were missing. Every last piece of machinery he had was gone with the wind.

Arthur had just woken up. Immediately snapping his eyes open due to sensing something was wrong, found that all of his stuff - his PC, his reverse-engineered Styler, his attempts at making a PokeCenter Healing Machine, his failed jetpack prototypes, his stupidly intricate clock, etc. - was missing.

It took him about a minute to process this.

Then he barreled down the stairs because he knew who was behind this.

'You don't have to go on your journey,' his butt!

"Mom… why did you take all of my stuff?" Arthur asked in clipped but nervous tones as he spotted her at the breakfast table.

His mother smirked at him behind a cup of coffee. "Well, Arthur, I've been thinking. It really isn't all that fair that you stay behind while all of the other kids get to go on their adventures today."

Arthur began to plead, something he never thought he'd do. "Mom, no! I… I thought we agreed that I wasn't ready!"

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Really? You, not ready? You placed high in all of the practicals in school, and you passed the mental health exam as well."

Arthur fumed. "I placed high because I knew you would give me a hard time if I didn't!"

"I pushed you because you have the ability, Arthur. Don't lie to me - you're perfectly capable of going on an adventure. It's time for you to grow up. You've been ten for fourteen days now, but you still act like you're seven."

Arthur began to mumble incoherently, then suddenly smirked. "You can't make me leave, Mom," he crowed, "All I'll have to do is check in with a PokeCenter every month or so, and the League won't do anything about it. I can just stay here like usual and have to do nothing."

His mother nodded. "Yes, but… I'm kicking you out."

Arthur's mouth dropped open.

"Yep. You know how to be self-sufficient, so you can stay in the wilderness for at least a couple of months. You'll be fine." Suddenly, Arthur found himself with a backpack hoisted on his shoulders. "Call me when you get to Littleroot or Petalburg or wherever. Bye, honey!"

As she spoke, Arthur's mother slowly pushed Arthur out of the door against his struggles. She pushed him out of the threshold, winked, and shut the door on him.

Arthur fell on his butt and just stared at the closed door.

* * *

"... so then, I decided, 'Well, shoot, guess I'm stuck out here now. I decided to come over here to stay with you, Old Man."

Old Man Walter chuckled. "Gee, kid. Mom's kicked you out of the house, except instead of a couple of hours, it's a couple of months."

Arthur put his head in his hands. "Don't remind me," he whined. "I'm going to have to wait for months to get all of my stuff back. I mean, I'll be able to access some of my files from anywhere that has PokeNet, but still… I had so much cool stuff! I had a program that could tell me my birthday to the exact minute using nothing but some cells and a program that could automatically find the most embarrassing things about Kyle and… and… "

Old Man Walter shrugged. "Well, you can always rebuild your stuff. You'll have plenty of spare time, now that you can skip school for a year."

"Well, at least there's a silver lining…" Arthur grumbled. "Anyway, where will I be sleeping?"

"Sleeping?"

Arthur looked at Old Man Walter, confused. "Well, yeah? I mean, I'm going to have to stay here, right? None of my relatives live in Oldale Town, and I don't really have any friends except for you, so I'll have to stay here."

"In this old junkyard? Not a chance." Old Man Walter gestured to Oldale Dump. "I've been running this thing for years by myself. I let you hang around 'cause you aren't bad company, but staying here? For months? Don't make me laugh."

Arthur's face fell. "But then what am I going to do? I can't exactly hack into the League's computers - well, not now, at any rate." He groaned. "I still can't believe Mom went behind my back like that. I didn't think she had it in her to just break the promise she made to me. She _never_ breaks her promises."

"Well, she probably decided that this promise wasn't worth keeping or something. Heck if I know."

Arthur began to ponder the possibility of escaping predicament. "Could I… no, no one would fall for it. Maybe… Aargh…" He put his face in his hands and turned to Old Man Walter. "The best I can think of is to build my own house in the wilderness and wait out the months with the bare minimum."

Old Man Walter stared at Arthur. "Are you really that desperate to get out of this?"

Arthur snorted. "Me? Absolutely." He dismissed Old Man Walter's suggestions and continued to plot.

Old Man Walter decided that it was time he listened to a radio show and leave Arthur to his machinations.

* * *

(Twenty Minutes and a lot of Dumb Ideas Later)

"... you could go on an adventure?"

"No! I'm not going on an adventure!" Arthur denied, making an 'X' with his arms to emphasize his rejection. "There are a million and a half better things I can do with my time!"

"You suggested a machine to make you hibernate, Arthur. That would be a ludicrous waste of time."

Arthur huffed. "It's just… I don't want Mom to win. She's taken all of my stuff and kicked me out of the house - I'm not going to do what she says!" He then went on his knees. "Please, Old Man! Please let me stay here for the next couple of months!"

"No."

Tears began to form in Arthur's eyes.

"Arthur, grow up!" The old man was at the end of his tether. "You're pride isn't worth you starving to death. Just accept that you'll have to go on an adventure - your school prepared you for it, and I know you're mature enough to take care of yourself."

Old Man Walter upended the backpack as Arthur grudgingly wiped away his tears. "Your mother packed you a couple of canteens, some sandwiches, your Trainer ID…"

"Can't believe she'd do that," Arthur mumbled as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"... a tent, a sleeping bag, some toiletries, a pillow, a flashlight, some changes of clothes, a few Pokeballs and Potions, a Repel, a Map of Hoenn, and 3000 in Poke. I know for a fact that you passed your practicals in Adventure Survival in school, and you're smart enough to take care of yourself.

"There's nothing stopping you from this adventure but yourself, Arthur."

"... starter…" Arthur mumbled.

"What? Come on, kid, you know my ears ain't all that great." Old Man Walter gesticulated, sticking a knobbly finger in his ears and bringing it out covered in wax. He wiped the wax on his faded jeans as Arthur spoke.

"Well, I'll need a starter, right? The League doesn't provide them to trainers, says that it's their job to get their first Pokemon. Everyone else has gotten their starter already as well - the Fair finished yesterday, so no one is selling any more Pokemon to inexperienced trainers.

"There are no legal methods I could use to get a starter. The only place I could get one from is either from a friend who's willing to lend me one so I could catch one myself or something along those lines."

The arid junkyard was silent for a short time. While Arthur was dejectedly staring off into the dusty piles of scrap, Old Man Walter was deep in thought.

Finally, though, he clapped his hands. "Well, there is a solution to your problem."

"What - me catching one by myself? No thanks. If it manages to break free, I probably won't get a second chance, as I'll be dead by then. That's assuming I could get one in the first place."

Old Man Walter scoffed. "No, of course not. It's not a solution you have to work for." Old Man Walter had captivated Arthur's full attention at this point. Not having to work was the siren's call for Arthur.

"What is it?" At this point, Arthur had resignedly committed himself to the journey - there seemed to be no way he could feasibly get out of it, at any rate.

"Wait here." Old Man Walter went around to his shack for a minute, then pulled out what looked like a dirty Pokeball. "Here's your starter." He tossed Arthur the ball.

Arthur caught it with his hands and inspected it. There were small patches of dirt smeared on the Ball. He took the Ball in one hand and cleaned it with the back of his pants - there would be no chance of a misfire since he still had to register it with his ID for him to be able to open it.

As he wiped, he began to question Old Man Walter. "Where did you get this? I thought you only owned Net."

"Yeah, well, Net was my only Pokemon, up until last night. Some Magnemite had been snooping around this yard, so Net put a stop to him. I caught it in a Ball to give to my grand-niece for next year - she's turning ten in a couple of months, you know, only a little younger than you."

Arthur didn't know that Old Man Walter had any family, and was momentarily intrigued before he remembered that there were more important things to be worried about.

"Anyway, you need that Magnemite a whole lot more than she does. So I'll find something else for her.

"Thanks," Arthur replied. Magnemite were generally easy to take care of - as long as you let them feed at a Power Plant every couple of months, they would be fine. Granted, a constant source of electricity would be better, but he wasn't going to complain.

Magnemite left no droppings, either, so he managed to avoid poop-scooping as well.

Arthur and Old Man Walter then began the lengthy process of registering the Magnemite to Arthur. It wasn't that hard, though - it was just inputting his ID into a special bar in the back of the Pokeball so that it would recognize Arthur's ID as well as Old Man Walter's.

Why was it a lengthy process? Well, the inputting of the ID took a long time to install, at only fifteen minutes. It could have been magnitudes shorter, as short as a few seconds, but the League mandated that it should take at least fifteen minutes to register, to prevent stolen Pokemon from immediately being turned against their trainer.

Because of this, Trainers guarded their IDs with their lives. Even though you could easily get a replacement, any old schmuck could use your Pokemon against you if they stole your Trainer ID as well. It didn't matter if the Pokemon didn't want to fight the Trainer - the Pokeball would force the Pokemon to obey the holder of the ID.

Of course, taking a Trainer's ID was taboo, even among hardened criminals. No one would trust you after that - no one.

Arthur and Old Man Walter finished setting up the Pokeball. Finally, the Pokeball was registered with Arthur's ID.

Arthur took a deep breath, then, with a nervousness he hadn't felt before, threw the Pokeball.

"Release."

The Pokeball flew open, releasing a torrent of sparkling red energy, which slowly began to take form. Arthur caught the Pokeball as it flew back toward him as he studied the Magnemite.

Truth be told, it was...just like any average Magnemite one would see in pictures. Other than some scrapes and scratches, it looked as though he had dragged the Magnemite in his old textbooks into the real word.

"Well, what do you think?" Old Man Walter casually leaned forward. "It's certainly not a prime specimen or anything, but I think it'll get the job done for you."

Arthur let out a smile. "Yeah, it's okay." The Magnemite simply stared blankly at Arthur. "Let's get the introductions out of the way, then."

Arthur pointed to himself. "I'm Arthur - your new trainer." Magnemite just continued to float. "Tomorrow, we'll start an adventure together. You're going to do what I say, okay?"

Arthur's voice began to crack. This was the first time he had honestly handled a Pokemon beyond looking at it - his mother's Pokemon died of illness a long time ago. He had no friends, so he couldn't play with their Pokemon. The only Pokemon he had ever seen were the ones they brought in to demonstrate the power of Pokemon every so often at school, and he wasn't one o the few allowed to command them.

It didn't help that he was mostly a shut-in, with the exception of him regularly traveling to the Oldale Dump.

The Magnemite just continued to stare blankly at Arthur. Arthur wondered if the Magnemite could actually understand him.

"Uh… Nod if you understand." Arthur could hit himself. Nod? Could Magnemites even nod?

The Magnemite nodded, though, answering the question succinctly (Well, Arthur thought it was a nod, at least - the Magnemite jerked its whole body forward and tilted it, so it was the closest thing to a Magnemite nod Arthur could think of).

"Okay! Do you… want a name?"

The Magnemite simply continued to stare blankly at him.

Old Man Walter began to laugh as Arthur's cheeks colored. Arthur glared at Old Man Walter as Old Man Walter finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Ha… ha… Arthur, Magnemites don't respond to questions. Unlike us, they don't have the innate desire to share information."

What Old Man Walter said jogged something in Arthur's memory. "Right… they'll just do what their trainer tells them to do, right? They won't do anything else?"

Old Man Walter nodded. "If the trainer can steadily supply electricity, the Magnemite will do whatever their trainer tells them to. They can bond, of course, but that'll take much more time than a more emotional Pokemon."

Arthur, meanwhile, was trying to figure out what to do. While the reassurance of Magnemite's obedience was nice, it still didn't help him deal Magnemite's name.

Then it hit him.

"Magnemite, from now on when I ask a question you will be required to answer," Arthur ordered.

Old Man Walter chuckled a little bit. "Glad to see you have that figured out. Although, I've learned from experience that they can lie, so tell Magnemite that it must tell you the entire truth when it answers your questions."

Arthur was a little confused. "The entire truth? Why not just tell it not to lie?"

"Because if you two ever develop a bond, Magnemite might lie to you to protect you. That generally doesn't end well, so make sure that Magnemite will tell you the complete truth." Old Man Walter adopted a pensive look, then corrected himself. "Well, not the complete truth. You don't want Magnemite to tell you everything, after all - its life story would take forever to tell."

Arthur nodded, then faced Magnemite with a serious look etched on his face. "Magnemite, when I ask you a question, you will tell me the complete - I mean, the relevant truth. Nod if you understand." Magnemite nodded again.

"Alright, go ahead and ask your questions now - he'll answer them." Old Man Walter supplied.

"Sure," Arthur agreed, "I'll ask." He cleared his throat. "Magnemite. Would you like a nickname?"

Magnemite's eye narrowed, and it began to whir his magnets.

Upon Arthur's questioning gaze, Old Man Walter explained. "Magnemite don't have names or know their purpose - they don't really obtain any advantages from knowing others, being fairly antisocial."

"Ugh, why is this so hard?" Arthur whined. When Old Man Walter didn't answer, Arthur huffed. "Fine." He turned around to face Magnemite. "Magnemite, names are used to tell each other apart. It allows me to tell you from other Magnemite, so I don't call for them when I call for you."

Magnemite adopted a curious look on its face for a few seconds, before whirring again.

"It understands." Old Man Walter told Arthur. "Ask your question again."

Arthur sighed, then turned to his Pokemon. "Would you like a nickname? Nod if you say yes."

Magnemite nodded.

Arthur's body sagged, relief flooding through him. "Finally! That took forever - I thought it would never make up its mind."

Old Man Walter sighed, then shook his head. "Look, Arthur, that was easy. In fact, Magnemite, as a species, is easy to train, as they rarely disobey. If you thought that was hard, well…" He trailed off somewhat ominously.

Arthur decided to ignore it and began to continue to talk to Magnemite. "Well, Magnemite, what kind of name do you want?"

Old Man Walter smacked his face, sighing in frustration as Magnemite whirred confusingly. He groaned as Arthur shot him a bemused look. "Arthur, Magnemite doesn't have any preferences yet. It took a while for Net to develop his own preferences, and he still is ambivalent about most things. You'll be the one who has to give the name to it."

Arthur let out a breath. "Alright…," he said with a grimace on his face.

He then considered Magnemite. What would be a good name for him? He barely knew Magnemite, so he felt that any creative name he could make would be a bit of a wash.

He decided to consult Old Man Walter. "Old Man Walter, how did you come up with Net's name".

Old Man Walter chortled. "Oh, that? I caught Net in a trap before throwing a Pokeball at him, so if he escaped the ball I could try again. I named him what I caught him in."

While the anecdote was slightly amusing to Arthur, it didn't really help him that much. Frustrated, he started looking around the junkyard to charge his creativity. Old Man Walter pulled out a book titled _The Building of the Entralink_.

Arthur looked at the decaying pieces of scrap around him, hoping that at least one of them would able to charge his creativity. Unfortunately, junk was not the most inspiring of muses, and he began to feel frustrated. He began to push his mind to think of a name, but he couldn't come up with anything that didn't sound stupid immediately.

His mind kept revolving around Net, Old Man Walter's Magneton. Net was named after an object - a net - so perhaps naming Magnemite after an object would work as well.

What object did he most associate with Magnemite? He just met it, so he didn't have any experiences with it beyond the confusion with the naming debacle.

Maybe Magnemite could help him - it was better than nothing, at least.

"Magnemite, help me…" Arthur trailed off. Magnemite had decided to wander off while Arthur was thinking, and had buried itself in a pile of scrap. Upon emerging at Arthur's call, a metal spring had gotten stuck on Magnemite's screw, vibrating as Magnemite regarded him.

A smile covered Arthur's face. "Never mind - I've figured it out." Old Man Walter looked up at this, putting away his book.

"Well, spit it out."

Arthur walked to Magnemite, who was levitating in place. With a deft movement, Arthur lifted the spring from Magnemite's screw and clenched it.

"I'll call you Spring." The newly christened Spring regarded Arthur with bewilderment but didn't make any other reactions. "Understand?"

Spring nodded, sealing it. Old Man Walter got up and stretched.

"Well, what now?"

"Uh…" Arthur had yet to think that far ahead. To tell the truth, even though he knew what would be the ideal path in this scenario - travel through Hoenn, get stronger, beat other trainers, obtain Gym badges - he didn't think he was the type of person to do that.

He wasn't much of an adventurer, more of a 'sit down' kind of guy. But he didn't have much choice - out of morbid curiosity, he had once researched how many adventurers setting out at the age of ten actually made training Pokemon into their career.

The answer was...not many. Even discounting those that died after heading out into the wild (those tended to be the people who scored on the lower end of the trainer qualification exam), many adventurers didn't make it past a couple of days before returning home.

Adventuring wasn't all fun and games, after all. Not many people were willing to leave the safety of the towns for the rugged wilderness, at least without transport. Part of the reason why he didn't want to go on a journey in the first place was that of the obscene amount of work he would have to invest in simply surviving.

What was more, it was hard to make much of a profit in the wilderness. Those that managed to survive would prey off any starting trainers, taking away their legal winnings as well. They trained to the point that they would be able to cream any starting trainer, but not much more, as training was difficult and often time-wasting.

That predation on emerging trainers made it hard for the newcomers to really get going.

Arthur wanted none of that. He would have to go off-road most of the time if he wanted to have any chance of surviving for the next few months with any form of money. The problem was that otherwise, he would have no income.

Gym Leaders were also a waste of time. While the first one or two could be handled by an average trainer, they ramped up the difficulty for the third Gym on, so that the Gym would only give a badge to thirty trainers a month or so.

As the Gyms got progressively harder, the number of trainers getting badges decreased. There were only a hundred or so trainers that managed to get to the League. The chances of him being one of them…

Arthur proceeded to tell Old Man Walter just that, and the old man got a pensive look.

Finally, he sighed. "I see your point - it would be difficult to go through the traditional route. You could be a Gym Trainer, perhaps, but that isn't a paid job, so it won't help you beyond strengthening your Pokemon through battles."

While Gyms were public property, they were manned by volunteers. Even the Gym Leaders weren't paid, making them have to supplement their incomes in various ways - modeling, art, etc. They often structured their jobs around the Gym because of this.

Suddenly, Old Man Walter's face brightened. "I have an idea!" Then it brightened even more. "Now I have an even better idea."

"Really?"

Old Man Walter nodded. "Yeah. You probably don't know this, but I have connections." He winked at Arthur, who was feeling moderately calmer. "I know Professor Birch personally, and he can hook you up with something."

Arthur's eyes widened. Professor Birch was the leading Professor of the region, publishing large theses more often than every other Professor in Hoenn combined.

"You know Professor Birch?" Arthur asked, astounded.

"Yep - I've lent him a couple of tools that help him in his research - give him an edge, you know?" Old Man Walter buffed his chest with his fist, looking rather smug.

An inkling of what Old Man Walter was saying was appearing in his mind. "You want me to be his… research assistant?"

Old Man Walter laughed. "Oh no, he has enough of those. No, I'll write a letter you can give to him, and he'll help you on your journey."

"He'll give me funding?"

Old Man Walter shook his head. "No, he only does that for his research assistants, so I doubt he'll lend you money. No, I think he'll help you in another way."

Arthur was annoyed. "Okay, so he helps me. Then what?"

"I'll get it ready for you when you return from Littleroot. For now, just go there."

Arthur nodded and hefted the backpack his mom gave him.

"Sure. Write the letter and I'll leave."

Old Man Walter gave him an odd look. "Not today, of course. It's late afternoon and it'll take a day for you to get to Littleroot."

"Then what do I do?"

"Have some fun today, bond with Spring, and I'll give you the letter. Sleep in the PokeCenter tonight, they'll let you stay in once or twice, then leave for Littleroot tomorrow."

Arthur considered this, then nodded, beckoning Spring over.

"Okay, Spring, let's go to the PokeCenter."

Old Man Walter raised his eyebrows. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I said you should have some fun with Spring and get to know him a little better - why are you going straight for the Pokecenter?"

Arthur grinned. "I know, but I want to know as much about Spring as possible. Since I don't own a Pokedex or anything like that, I'll need a PC to find out more about Spring. After I know more about him I'll bond with him."

"Oh, alright then. If you want to go to the PokeCenter right away, I'll give you the letter. Wait here for a minute."

A few minutes and some speed-writing later, Old Man Walter came out of his shack with an envelope clutched in his hands. He handed the envelope over to Arthur, who put it carefully in his backpack.

"Come back once you go to Littleroot, Arthur. I'm going to prepare something for your journey when you return."

Arthur nodded. "Will do." He then walked out of Oldale Dump, Spring stoically following him.

However, right as he was about to step out he turned to Old Man Walter and smiled. "Thank you, Old Man Walter. You've been really helpful."

Old Man Walter stretched. "Nah, you bring some life to this old place. It was about time I cashed in on some of these checks, anyway." He then made a shooing motion. "Now go - I'll see you in three days or so if you make good time."

Arthur waved and then was off on his journey.


	2. Littleroot

Spring watched, idly floating by, as Arthur put his jumbled up pajamas in his backpack. Arthur had yet to figure out the logic behind a washing machine, so he refused to use the one provided at the PokeCenter.

As a result, his backpack now smelled like an odd mixture of air freshener, Poochyena urine, and spoiled food. Arthur now realized why his mother was so stringent on washing clothes but decided that he had more important things to do right now than cleaning. They'd only get dirty again soon, anyway.

He would regret that choice later that night when he had to actually wear his clothes.

Arthur bounded down the stairs, and after bidding a goodbye to the local Nurse Joy left the Oldale PokeCenter.

Walking through Oldale Town, he consulted the map that the PokeCenter had provided him. Littleroot was to the south of Oldale Town, roughly 30 kilometers or 18 miles.

Littleroot was far away from Oldale, but Arthur was confident he would be able to make the journey in a day, as long as he kept up a reasonable pace and took frequent breaks.

That's what they said you should do in the class, anyway.

Arthur neared the gates of Oldale, Spring dutifully following behind him; once Arthur ordered him to, of course. Spring was stationary for a full ten minutes before Arthur realized that it wasn't with him.

The guards looked rather bored when Arthur came across them. They gave his papers no more than a cursory check and inspected his ID for all of two seconds before allowing him to go past the gates.

Just like that, for the first time in his life, Arthur was alone in the wilderness of Route 101. Arthur never thought he'd be here, never wanted to be here, but...he was here nonetheless.

"Come on, Spring," he waved, beckoning Spring onward as they traveled throughout the wilderness. "The guide said to practice your moves lightly as you traveled, so your Pokemon would repel any others. You know the moves Supersonic, Tackle, and Thundershock, right?"

At Spring's nod, he continued. "Well, let's practice them then. Every… uh… th-thirty seconds, fire a Supersonic into the wilderness. That'll scare any wild Pokemon from coming near us and strengthen your Supersonic or something…"

Arthur really had no idea what he was doing. He began to sweat as he realized that reading training articles online didn't actually teach one how to train.

Well… nothing would go wrong, hopefully.

Arthur hitched up his backpack and continued walking through the wilderness, Spring firing waves of sonic energy half-minute.

* * *

Two hours later, Arthur wanted to scream.

His legs were feeling like putty, and his every step was taken at an awkward angle. Behind him, Spring was showing signs of fatigue from firing around 240 Supersonics, shaking in its levitation and occasionally dipping a foot or so, before promptly righting itself.

Arthur's mind was hidden in a dense fog of pain and soreness. This was another reason why he didn't want to take a journey. He wasn't ready for the sheer strain the job would entail.

"Ugh… Spring… do you want to take a break?" Arthur asked halfheartedly.

Spring, of course, didn't respond. Arthur wearily smacked himself.

"Right… no preferences…" They trudged on for another few minutes before Arthur put his foot down. "Okay, I'm done. We're taking a break. Now." Spring, naturally, had no objections, and Arthur soon found a small clearing within Route 101 that he could use as a place to eat.

Arthur set himself down on a log and pulled out one of the sandwiches his mother had packed. For some reason, they had yet to spoil or show any sign of age (which worried him slightly). He decided to eat the sandwiches anyway, watching Spring just floating around.

"Just make yourself comfortable, Spring. Try to relax so we can continue training on the road." Arthur advised Spring with a large bite of ground beef in his mouth.

Spring proceeded to drop out of the air and landed on the ground, his eyes closed. Arthur worriedly checked him, then realized that Spring was alright, just resting. With a sigh, Arthur picked Spring up and put him on his lap. It was supposed to comfort your Pokemon or something…

How accurate were those guides, really?

As Arthur chewed, he found himself bored. Back in Oldale he always had something to occupy his time, and there was always a way to relieve his boredom. Now, though… he had only a semi-conscious Magnemite and his supplies.

He finished off the sandwich, then rested back on the log, trying to find a comfortable spot. After he found a serviceable position he took it upon himself to take a nice, long nap.

Arthur woke up from his nap with a searing headache. He wasn't going to nap on a log ever again - it clearly made him feel worse rather than better.

Then Arthur opened his eyes to the strangest scene he had yet to witness.

There was a girl whom he had never met before, with one of his sandwiches floating between her feet. The girl was stiffly walking away, making Arthur wonder if he hadn't actually woken up and was dreaming.

"Uh… what are you doing with my sandwich?" Arthur asked, feeling out of his depth.

The girl immediately turned around, terror written on her face. Suddenly, she began to run awkwardly away, trying to escape the clearing as fast as possible.

Alarm ringing through him, Arthur shouted;

"No! Stop!"

He glanced downward and found that Spring was still conked out on the clearing floor. With no other options, Arthur ran after the girl to rescue his sandwich, accidentally dragging his supply bag with him.

Luckily, he had gained a bit of his energy back after his nap. Even luckier, he had longer legs than the girl, meaning that he could catch up to her somewhat quickly.

With a meter between them, he dove at the girl's feet, attempting to nab the stolen sandwich.

The girl dodged and then disappeared into thin air. Arthur stood up angrily, his head clutched in pain.

The girl was gone! With his sandwich! His!

He angrily rubbed his head as he considered what he was going to do. That was one less meal from his already scarce supplies. He would have to think hard as to how to replace it.

At the very least, he found that the headache was clearing up on one side of his head. The girl's disappearing act made it much…

… he was an idiot.

Carefully, he walked in a circle. As he suspected, his headache varied in intensity as he walked.

His headache was caused by the weird girl - that's how he woke up. Even now, as the girl probably got farther and farther away, his headache cleared up.

RRRROOOOOHHH!

Arthur went stiff as the howl ripped through the air. Looking around, he spotted a climbable tree, and as another eerie cry resounded through the woods he was galvanized into action.

Shoot, he thought nervously, That sounded much closer. Oh crap, oh crap, come on…

He'd never been a tree climber, but desperation was a strong teacher, and he scrambled quickly into the branches, heart pounding in his chest.

Out in the clearing, there was a large rustling in the brambles. Suddenly a Poochyena came out of the thicket surrounding the clearing, followed by another and another. Soon, there were at least seven Poochyena in the clearing. Then a Mightyena burst through the branches, followed by… the girl?

The pack of Poochyena and the Mightyena faced the girl as she came fully into the clearing. With bated breath, Arthur watched the proceedings.

As it turned out, the pack had come to eat. Two more Poochyena emerged with a large carcass of some Pokemon Arthur wasn't able to recognize (but looked suspiciously similar to Sawsbuck).

With vigor, the nine Poochyena and one Mightyena dug into the carcass. Meanwhile, the girl began to flicker, before suddenly popping into thin air. Arthur realized, with a feeling of idiocy running through him, that there was now a tiny black fox Pokemon where the girl used to be.

The fox kit, who had Arthur's sandwich clutched in their mouth (he wasn't going to eat that anymore), dug into the sandwich voraciously. Within seconds the fox kit had finished off the meal.

Arthur felt a rage flow through him - he had worked hard to rescue that sandwich! More than that, he was now in a situation where he would have to wait for a while before he could come down. He gritted his teeth while he plotted a way to ensure the fox's demise.

The fox kit, meanwhile, looked positively miserable. Suddenly there was a large stomach growl Arthur could hear even in the tree. The Poochyena paused in their eating to laugh at the fox kit, who was somehow flushing.

As the Poochyena continued to eat, Arthur watched the fox kit look furtively around before popping into a Poochyena. The fox probably had Ditto-like powers, able to Transform into other Pokemon and things.

The disguised fox dug into the carcass next to the Poochyena. As the pack ate, Arthur wondered why the fox had to disguise itself to eat with the others. After all, they were all part of the same family, weren't they? Surely the fox was allowed to eat with the others?

Arthur felt a grin form on his face as he finally plotted his revenge. He took a stone that was lying in the crook of the tree branches as threw it at the fox. The fox probably wouldn't be able to retaliate without exposing themself.

The stone Arthur threw conked the fox right on the head, and it reflexively yipped at Arthur. Not that it could do anything, of course - it didn't have any attacks that could reach up the tree.

What was more pressing to it, however, was the Poochyena. The fox stopped yipping at him as it noticed the growling wolves around it. It popped back into its foxy state before stepping away from the carcass.

Then something unexpected and ominous happened: the Poochyena and Mightyena slowly began to surround the fox, who was shrinking back and frantically looking around for an exit.

Then the attacks began. Each Poochyena leaped forward, one after another, biting and scratching the fox before quickly jumping back into the surrounding circle.

It was a battle of attrition, Arthur realized, as the fox was constantly being attacked while the Poochyena were easily able to keep up their stamina. Soon Arthur could see the fox falter and step down onto one of its knees.

Guilt began to surge through Arthur. He didn't want the fox to die, sandwich thief or no. He knew that Old Man Walter would probably call him stupid or naive for doing this, but…

He grabbed a Pokeball from his bag and threw it at the fox. By some miracle, it managed to hit the fox directly. Opening in a burst of light, the Pokeball sucked the fox in, shaking a few times before clicking.

Hoping to dear Arceus he was fast enough, Arthur jumped down from the tree into the middle of the circle of Poochyena, and grabbed the Pokeball. While the Poochyena were still getting over their shock, Arthur dashed from the clearing towards his makeshift campsite.

Soon, however, the Poochyena managed to collect themselves and started to chase him. Arthur ran as fast as he could, with the pack of dark wolves slowly catching up to him.

Luckily, Arthur managed to get to the clearing in time. Spring was still sleeping where Arthur had left it, so Arthur quickly grabbed it and began to shake the Pokemon.

Spring quickly came to attention and started frantically looking around.

"Spring! Poochyena… attacking! Supersonic… now!" Arthur ordered, with his voice out of breath from running so much.

Spring nodded, then began to whir his gears. Soon Spring began to emit pulses of sound at the Poochyena. The Poochyena horde turned into a frenzy, each member attacking each other and themselves. Soon, Arthur and Spring were able to leave the pack behind.

Or at least, that's what they thought. Ten minutes after they had slowed down due to exhaustion, they heard growling again.

Then Arthur remembered a crucial fact about Poochyena. Namely, if they ever got a smell of him, they would never forget about him until he was a raw, succulent meal in their mouths.

He hitched up his backpack. He was going to feel this tomorrow.

* * *

(Littleroot - 6 Hours Later)

Arthur finally stepped across the threshold of the gate. The guards looked at him and began to wonder what could have made him like this, as it was only a day's walk from the nearest town.

Then they saw the large pack of Poochyena tiredly chasing the boy and promptly decided that they had more important things to worry about.

Arthur, as it turned out, ran the majority of Route 1. He was hungry, thirsty, scared, and exhausted from running for six hours. He also needed to pee, but he could wait ten more minutes on that one. For now, though, he could finally collapse.

He desperately wanted to take a nap, but he still had a job to do. So he wearily dragged himself back to his feet and shambled to Professor Birch's lab.

Ten minutes later he came across the front door. He went up to the door and knocked.

A minute later, someone came to the door. An irate man in a lab coat opened the door, looking like he had better things to do. When he spotted Arthur he groaned and said "Kid, we already gave out all of our starter Pokemon. Get one by yourself." He then started to close the door on Arthur.

Arthur had been chased by Pokemon all day long, though, so he had no compunctions with sticking his foot in the door - literally. The man in the lab coat tried to push Arthur's foot out the door, unsuccessfully.

Arthur sighed. "Sir, I have a message from Old Man Walter."

The man frowned. "Who?" Then he continued to try and push him out.

A booming laugh came behind him, however. "Newton, let him in. He's the boy I've been waiting for."

The man - Newton, probably - frowned. "But sir…"

Newton was pushed roughly to the side and a heavyset man in another lab coat came into view. "Hello, boy. I presume you're Arthur?"

Arthur frowned. "Yes - but how did you know my name?"

The man chuckled. "Walter called me earlier this morning - said he realized that he could actually use PokeNet for this. I already know everything in that letter." He brought out a PokeNav. "See?" A few button taps later, an email was on the screen from Walter.

Arthur was dumbfounded. "Wait… does that mean…" A sickening feeling rose up within him. "I didn't have to be chased by the Poochyena?!"

The man chuckled as Newton muttered off to the side. "Oh, that takes me back… how many were there?"

"Ten - nine Poochyena and one Mightyena. They chased me for hours!"

The man tittered. "Well, did you use any attacks on them? That would have demoralized them."

Arthur nodded, summoning Spring as he did so. The Magnemite appeared in a flash of light. "I used Supersonic - it's the only move we've practiced with."

The man sighed. "Oh… but that would have irritated and frenzied them instead…" Arthur rubbed a bruise that had recently formed. "Do you have any Repels?"

You could hear a pin drop. Then Arthur balled up his fists and desperately tried to contain his tears.

The man began to awkwardly chuckle. "Eh… anyway, don't worry about it! What's important is that you're here safe and sound."

Newton, off to the side, scoffed. "This is the boy Walter recommended to you? He probably only passed the licensing exam by a few points. Professor Birch, do you really think he's trustworthy with a Pokedex?" Arthur's breath hitched. "He probably stepped on one of their tails - is that the kind of person you hand such precious equipment to?"

Birch frowned. "Newton, I… " Birch didn't get to say anything, however, because Arthur began to shout at Newton.

"I didn't want to do this!"

It was hard to hear anything over the sound of Arthur's sobs.

"Stupid, stupid… Why did I… Why didn't I…?"

"How did you anger the Poochyena?", Newton challenged. Even with Professor Birch's reproachful look, Newton stood tall, daring the boy he now held a grudge against to speak.

"... sandwich…" Arthur slowly answered.

Now Professor Birch was curious too. "What?"

So Arthur, between the tears, slowly told the pair what had occurred that afternoon, starting with the nap and ending with him reaching Littleroot.

There was another silence in the lab. Then Newton chuckled.

"Like I said, Professor, the boy is stupid. Sacrificing everything for a sandwich, and then a Pokemon - the boy is clearly mentally unequipped to be a trainer, much less a Pokedex holder."

Arthur stepped back, shocked. Professor Birch finally began to yell. "Newton, get back to looking at the fecundity of the Seedot line - this no longer concerns you."

Newton, however, had yet to back down. "A Pokemon's population growth rate is many times that of human's, Professor Birch - you already know that. The fertility rate, their fecundity" he said, pointedly using the jargon, "is massive. There are many fish in the sea, and this boy risked his life for one measly Zorua. And before that, a sandwich! A sandwich!"

Professor Birch was beginning to turn red. "Newton, leave now."

Newton shrugged and, after throwing one last spiteful look at Arthur, left.

Professor Birch took a few calming breaths, then turned to face Arthur. "Sorry about Newton, Arthur. He has a bit of an attitude - miraculously, he has yet to actually fail in anything in his life, so he thinks that everyone is intellectually beneath him. You getting a Pokedex must really ruffle his feathers, considering I have yet to provide one to him."

Arthur was despondent. "I think he's right - what was I thinking? I thought I was smart before, but look at where I am now! Alone and injured! I don't think I'm ready for this training business." Spring, who was just floating idly by, whirred in a noncommittal way.

Birch was silent. Then he asked a question. "Can you bring out the Zorua?"

Arthur sniffled a little bit, composure gone. "W-what?"

"Bring out the Zorua - the one that you captured. You took the Pokeball, right?"

Arthur nodded, then dug around in his bag for the Zorua. "Release." The Pokeball opened with a jet of light, and the Zorua appeared, still injured.

Birch kneeled so that he was closer to Zorua's level. "So you were telling the truth, then." He brought his hand close to Zorua, and it shrank back.

After a few seconds, Professor Birch spoke. "Zorua, am I your trainer?"

Zorua shook its head.

"Well, then. Who is your trainer?"

Zorua was silent for a time, before turning its head to Arthur and yipping.

Birch stood up again. "Zorua has already accepted you as its trainer, Arthur."

Arthur was confused. "Well, yeah. I mean it's supposed to."

Birch shook his head. "You are its trainer, whether it would like it or not. However, this doesn't mean it accepts you as its trainer."

Arthur was confused. "What?"

"Pokemon can only have to obey the holder of the Trainer ID. They don't necessarily have to like, respect, or even accept the trainer. If Zorua didn't like you, it wouldn't have said you were its trainer - it didn't have to answer me.

"In fact, let me make this a little bit easier. Zorua, do you like Arthur?"

Zorua was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

Arthur was thunderstruck. "B-but I threw that rock at you! I got you in trouble!"

Zorua shrugged.

Professor Birch chuckled again. "And you more than made up for it when you saved Zorua from the Poochyena. Arthur, once you completed your revenge you didn't have to stick around at all. The Poochyena were distracted, Zorua was busy defending itself, your sandwich was eaten and your revenge enacted. You saved Zorua out of the goodness of your heart. Naturally, Zorua would be appreciative of both the meal and the rescue."

Arthur was a little pensive. Then he asked a question. "So, Zorua likes me now. That doesn't mean I'm a good trainer."

Birch smiled. "You have everything it takes to become a good one. Knowledge, experience, power, intelligence… all of those can be trained, gained, and grown. There is one thing you can't train, however.

"The heart."

Birch walked over to Arthur and placed his hand on his shoulder. "The reason you have a Pokedex instead of Newton is that Newton doesn't care about Pokemon, he thinks they're less than human. And if you can't be bothered to care about your Pokemon when there is no risk to them, how could you possibly care about them in battle.

"You, however, cared about your former enemy, literally throwing yourself to the wolves for it. You, Arthur, are someone I can trust with something like this." He pulled a bright red machine out of his pocket. "This is the Pocket Encyclopedia, which the illustrious Professor Oak abbreviated to Pokedex. It is yours now."

Arthur took the Pokedex in trembling arms. Before today, he thought it was something like a portable device - nothing to scoff at, but replaceable. There were unofficial knockoffs floating around everywhere.

But this… it held more than the sum of its components now.

"T-Thank you, sir." A thought came to him. "Don't you usually only give these to your research assistants?"

Professor Birch nodded. "Yes, I usually only give them to those I've known for some time and can, therefore, trust implicitly. While all Pokedexes send data to me for experimental use, I don't particularly need the data. The Pokedex has many, many functions, which you can discover. The knock-offs only have a fraction of the true capability of a Pokedex."

Arthur clutched the Pokedex tighter.

"Use it to its fullest potential, Arthur." Professor Birch turned away. "Good luck - oh, and if you see my daughter, say hi, would you?"

Arthur could only nod.

* * *

(Littleroot PokeCenter - That Night)

Arthur ate one his sandwiches for dinner, giving the other to Zorua, who gleefully chomped down on it. He would have to buy more food tonight, before going to bed - he only had two sandwiches left.

As he chewed, a TV was blaring the night's news.

"... fulfill the Devon Executives' promise to develop machines to mass-produce Infinity Energy for the use of Hoenn. In other news, Gigant Inc. has made plans to move their headquarter to Mossdeep City, due to the recession in…"

Arthur tuned out the business newscaster and focused on the more relevant problems. He still had no way of reliably making enough money to feed himself or buy supplies, or anything really.

Old Man Walter still had more ways to help him, though. Arthur concluded that the best thing to do would be to return to Oldale so that the two could continue to strategize. He would have to leave tomorrow, no matter how much pain he was in.

He and Zorua finished off their food while Spring sucked electricity from a nearby generator. He recalled Spring and faced Zorua, pulling out his Pokedex.

Species: #570 - Zorua

Gender: Female

Type: Dark

Ability: Illusion

Moves: Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, Detect

His eyes widened. "You're a girl?" Zorua yipped at him.

"Okay… do you want a name, girl?" Zorua considered him for a moment before nodding.

"How about…"

* * *

(Ten Minutes Later)

"... Mirage!" Mirage sleepily looked at him, then nodded, drifting off to her slumberland.

He recalled her as well, allowing her to sleep, before heading up to his own room.

He had a lot of sleep to catch up on.


	3. Meeting Helen

(The Next Morning)

*bring* *bring*

Arthur froze in place, his mouth filled with cereal provided by the PokeCenter. He wiped some dribbles of milk off his chin and pulled out his Pokedex. While fiddling around with it, he had found that he could use it to make calls like a Pokegear.

The thing was, he never gave anyone his number, so he shouldn't be getting any calls.

He answered the phone. "H… hello?"

"Arthur, hello!" It was Professor Birch. "Glad to see that your Pokedex's cellular capabilities are working. I need you to come to my lab before you go back to Oldale, I need something from you."

*click*

Arthur stared at the Pokedex for a little while longer, before shrugging and placing it back in his bag. He decided to go slower today than he had yesterday, to avoid exhausting himself to the point of collapse. This meant he'd have to camp somewhere along Route 101 for the night. He could take his sweet time.

Finishing the soggy cereal, he made his way out of the PokeCenter toward Professor Birch's lab. Soon he found his way to where the lab he had left last night, and opened it again.

Newton had opened the door again, glaring at Arthur as he did so. Arthur smirked and flashed him the Pokedex. Arthur delighted in the sound of Newton's teeth grinding. Arthur made his way to the back of the lab, where Professor Birch and some loud girl about his age were talking.

Professor Birch noticed him and waved him over. "Oh, Arthur, you've finally arrived!" Arthur flushed as the girl studied him with a burning intensity.

Arthur opened his mouth to reply, but the girl beat him to the punch. "Is he going to be my rival, Professor."

Arthur's mouth slammed shut as he tried to comprehend what the girl had said. "Riv… Rival?"

Professor Birch groaned. "Helen, this is why I told you to wait. I was going to coax him into it, but you _had_ to blurt it out." Helen grinned at him without regret.

Professor Birch sighed and turned back to Arthur. "As you've no doubt heard, I've signed you and Helen up to be each other's Rival."

Arthur's mouth flapped for a couple of seconds before Arthur found his voice. "I'm going to be her Rival?"

Professor Birch nodded. "Walter told me you would most likely need some motivation to get stronger in battle. In other words, he asked me to sign you up for the Rival system. Helen asked me to find her a Rival as well, so it all checks out."

Arthur didn't know what to think. Arthur realized he should have read the letter Old Man Walter gave him beforehand. ' _I wish people would stop getting me into things before I ask_ , he thought with a scowl.

Helen jutted her head forward as she raked her eyes over his body. "This guy doesn't look like much, Professor. He looks weaker than a six-year-old - look at how flabby his arms are!"

Finding himself very self-conscious, Arthur tried to fire back. "Oh yeah? Well you have… uh… freckles!"

Helen grinned. "Yup - here's Jim and James and Jimothy…"

Professor Birch then decided he was going to cut in. "Glad to see you two are getting along well, but let's move this along. Newton and I have some fieldwork to do later today, so we need to hurry this up a little bit."

He gestured to some sheets of paper lying on his desk. "The paperwork is all complete, so you two are rivals now. You two know what a Rival is, right? Required fight every few months or so, the winner gets one of the other person's Gym Badges, etc.?"

Both Arthur and Helen nodded. Kanto implemented the Rival system seven years ago, as an experiment. It soon spread to the other regions, including Hoenn. On their journey Trainers could have the choice of pairing up with another Trainer to be Rivals.

Rivals were pairs of trainers who fought against each other every so often to see who was stronger. The winner would get their choice of one of the other Trainer's Gym Badges. The Rival system forced young Trainers to get strong enough to protect their Gym Badges.

Arthur didn't want any part of it, as he didn't want to own any Gym Badges nor did he want to take any other person's. He could only conclude that Old Man Walter wanted him to get Gym Badges and enter the league.

He was _way_ too invested in Arthur's temporary trainer career.

Professor Birch continued with his explanation. "All that's left is for Helen to pick her starter so that both of your journeys may begin as Rivals." Professor Birch brought out a suitcase. "Here I have a set of starter Pokemon. Look over them, Helen, and pick the one that seems like the Pokemon you would like to partner with."

Something went off in Arthur's head. "Professor Birch, didn't you say that you already handed out your starter Pokemon?"

Professor Birch shook his head. "That's a lie Newton and I tell others. We tell them that so they don't come around begging for out plethora of adventure-ready pokemon. Most of the time, we don't give the Pokemon out to trainers. They're actually useful as bodyguards during fieldwork."

He then pointed toward Helen with a proud smile on his face. "Helen, though, is much more remarkable than others. She has great grades and passed her adventurer course with flying colors. Of course, I reserved all true judgment until I met her in person yesterday."

Helen grinned again.

"Suffice it to say, she made an impact. I've decided that she will be one of my new research assistants this year. I will support her as long as she continues to do research for me and contributes to the Pokedex."

He patted the suitcase again. "So, Helen, ready to meet your new partner?"

"Yes!" the girl replied instantly.

Professor Birch opened the suitcase in response, and twelve Pokeballs rolled out. Each of them had both a letter and a symbol embedded onto it. The letters were J, H, S, and U, while the symbols looked like a flame, a water droplet, and a leaf.

Professor Birch gestured to the Pokeballs in a grand motion as he spoke. "These are balls that run in circulation among us Pokemon professors. To add variety in our research, we study starters both native to our region and foreign. Along with the Hoenn starters, I have the Johto starters. I also have the Sinnoh starters and the Unova Starters."

Helen, it seemed, wasn't listening to him. She was busy scrambling around on the floor, looking for a specific Pokeball. Professor Birch trailed off, then smiled.

"Ah, of course, you don't need my advice. Go on, Helen, pick the starter best for you."

Arthur stretched and looked at the time on his Pokedex. He didn't have any real rush, he supposed, as he wasn't going to get back to Oldale within the day. Still, he felt like he could be better spending his time, instead of waiting for Helen to pick her starter.

Helen finally picked the ball she was looking for and lofted it high in the air. She cradled it for a few seconds before throwing it into the air and releasing the Pokemon inside.

Out of the explosion of white light came a blue mouse-like creature with bright red spots - a Cyndaquil.

Helen squealed and wrapped the Cyndaquil in a large bear hug. Cyndaquil started to flail and exploded several times. Soon enough, though, he calmed down and accepted the hold. Helen didn't seem to register the explosions at all.

Professor Birch sighed. "And here I was hoping you'd show some regional pride. Well, your starter isn't my choice. Are you going to give a name to him, Helen?"

Arthur sighed and sat back when he heard Helen's first answer. He started searching around the Pokedex for a programming console. He wanted to keep his programming and building skills sharp during the adventure. There's no better time than the present.

Arthur decided to relax when he heard the quality of the other names Helen was offering. They were going to be there for a while.

* * *

Helen took ten minutes to decide on a name. It was a short time compared to his own. Arthur postulated that Helen had a better naming sense than him… no, she had pure luck. After that, she and the now-named Boom received a Pokedex. Speaking of the Pokedex, Arthur discovered it _didn't_ have a programming console.

For once, both Newton and Arthur were unanimous in one hypothesis. Helen was going to lose the thing within the week. Helen treated the Pokedex without care, tossing it up and down and over and around. Arthur was wondering how she would ever raise her kids if she had any.

Newton begged Professor Birch to take the Pokedex from her so that the Pokedex would be safe. Professor Birch shrugged it all off.

"Newton, relax! Helen will take good care of the Pokedex, don't worry."

As if to prove him wrong. Helen, claiming to want to test how much the Pokedex weighs, started tossing the Pokedex up and down. Arthur felt a panic envelop him and caught it before there was any serious damage.

He fumbled around with it in his fingers before finally getting a good grip on it, the others sighing as he did so. As he grabbed it, his panic receded. He soon found himself breathing deeply, incredibly relieved, with Helen's Pokedex in hand.

Professor Birch laughed with a nervous quiver. "Helen, could you please be a little more careful with that delicate machinery. I know I built it to be somewhat resilient, but you should nonetheless be careful."

Helen pouted. "Ugh… fine." She took the Pokedex and began to check it.

Arthur coughed. "Now can we have that… battle?" he asked, feeling a little awkward. He then realized that this was his first ever official trainer battle. He gave himself a cursory look-over, mentally preparing for the occasion.

After she had finished checking her Pokedex, Helen smiled and bared her teeth. "You better believe it!"

Professor Birch chuckled. "Alright - you two can have your fight outside. Newton and I are going to lock up soon. I don't want you two destructive little Sableye hanging around my lab any longer than necessary."

Arthur and Helen accordingly made their way outside. In a small clearing some thirty meters away from the lab, they faced each other.

"1 on 1, first to knock out their opponents Pokemon wins?" Helen asked for clarification. Arthur nodded. Those seemed like fair rules, considering that he had both Spring and Mirage at his disposal.

Helen rubbed her hands together and smirked. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready!"

Against his wishes, Arthur grinned too.

"Battle Start!"

* * *

Both Arthur and Helen released their Pokemon - Spring, and Boom. The Magnemite and Cyndaquil materialized in the clearing, raring for a fight.

Arthur immediately began to shoot off orders. "Supersonic, over and over again!" Spring began off Supersonics at Boom, who took large lengths to avoid the sonic blasts.

Spring had gained more endurance when it came to using Supersonic, so they would be able to keep this up with ease. Soon enough, Boom was on the ropes, dodging every attack that Spring was throwing at him by only a hair's breadth.

Arthur could almost taste victory. If Boom failed to dodge once, Spring could render him helpless by using more Supersonics. Capping it off, Spring would then use a barrage of Thundershocks.

"Smokescreen!" Then Helen snapped him out of his mid-battle daydreams. Boom, after hearing Helen's order, proceeded to develop a gargantuan sphere of smoke in his snout. He hurtled it toward Spring who made no attempt at dodging it. The smoke began to surround it, cutting off visibility.

"Spring, escape!" Arthur ordered once it was clear that Spring wasn't going to make any efforts to rid himself of the smoke. The Magnemite flew out of the cloud of smoke -

"Boom, Double Kick!"

\- straight into Boom's attack. Arthur gritted his teeth. Double Kick was a Fighting-type move, so unlike a move like Scratch or Tackle, it would do a lot of damage to Spring.

The results spoke for themselves. Large dents appeared where Boom had struck, forcing Spring to retreat.

Arthur stood there, his mind blank. He couldn't think of a way to escape the situation.

"Distance, Spring! Use Thundershock!" Spring, in response, floated away as fast as it could from Boom and began to Thundershock him. Boom shook off the tiny bolts and started his chase after Spring.

For the next couple of minutes, it was a game of Meowth and Rattata. Boom tried to corner Spring while Spring pelted him with Thundershocks. There were a couple of close calls - Spring found itself trapped for a second and it looked like Boom was about to win.

Luckily, Spring managed to escape by flying over Boom and found itself on the run again. Even more fortunate, Boom looked rather worn out from the effort of dodging so many attacks, as well as the damage from Thundershocks.

"Boom, Leer!" Leer?

A pale glow emanated from Boom's eyes as he stared at Spring with baleful eyes. Spring _shivered_ and stop firing Thundershocks. Magnemite in general never felt any sort of fear, but Spring didn't look very apathetic right now.

"Double Kick!"

"Dodge!"

Unfortunately, Arthur's luck had run out. Spring didn't listen to Arthur's order, wrapped up in its own little world. Boom, though, performed an admirable Double Kick on the weakened Spring. Two larger dents appeared on Spring's sphere. Like a cannonball, Spring shot toward the edge of the clearing. Boom went to follow up with another Double Kick. But before he could, Arthur recalled Spring with an ugly grimace on his face.

Arthur's teeth clenched."I give up." He sighed, defeated. "Let's get to the PokeCenter, so we can be on our way already." He turned away from Helen.

* * *

Arthur and Helen headed to the PokeCenter to have their Pokemon healed for them. Nurse Joy took their Pokemon with a smile and they sat at one of the tables waiting for their Pokemon. The healing process Nurse Joys used was long and complicated. Actual treatment time took an hour for the kind of battle damage Boom and Spring had received. The time would increase with the severity of the injury.

As they sat, Arthur decided to introduce Mirage to Helen. Helen glomped Mirage, causing a few yips. But soon enough, Mirage was barking in content in Helen's arms, almost _purring_. Arthur decided to leave Mirage to her own devices as Helen proclaimed that she wanted to steal the adorable Mirage. Arthur decided to keep a closer eye on Helen either way.

As Helen cuddled Mirage, she started a conversation with Arthur. "So, Arthur, which Gym are you going to go to first for your badge?"

Arthur replied with a glum shrug. "I don't plan on getting any Gym badges," he explained. "In fact, I don't have a plan in general."

Helen looked dumbstruck. "Not going to get any Gym badges? Why? We're rivals, aren't we?" Helen began to pout, and Arthur felt a spike of guilt shoot through him.

He squashed it down, then replied. "Technically yeah, we're rivals." _Unfortunately_. "But I only found out about that earlier this morning - I didn't apply to become a rival."

Helen frowned. "So you aren't going to get any Gym Badges? You don't want to get into the league?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to get into the league. It sounds like way too much work, and I'm really not good with people. This might be the first casual conversation I've had with a virtual stranger in… years?"

Helen gasped and squeezed Mirage hard without realizing it, producing a loud yip. "That's awful - your social life sucks!" Arthur knew it was true, but it didn't help him from getting annoyed when Helen said it out loud. "We're getting you some friends, starting with me!"

"You?"

"Yes, me!" Helen pointed at herself with a small amount of force. "We already know you stink at Pokemon battles - like, you're _awful_. If you don't improve, you won't be enough to challenge me. You'll become my pet project instead - my Travelling Companion!"

"Trav… Traveling Companion?" Arthur stuttered out.

Helen nodded with resolution. "Yes! A Traveling Companion is someone who you will journey with. You go across the region while bonding… and stuff, I'm not sure of the details. A lot of the trainers in my family had one - it was a tradition before it fell out of style a hundred years ago or so. We'll be training together, eating together, etc.!"

"Do I get a say in this?" Arthur tried to object.

Helen shot him down with no hesitation and a bright smile. "Nope!"

"But I-"

"No ifs, ands, or buts! Let's get going!" She dropped Mirage, ran to the counter, which had their Pokeballs on it. The healing must have finished during the conversation.

She grabbed the ball containing Boom and tossed Arthur Spring's Pokeball. "Grab your stuff, we're going to Oldale! Oh, and don't forget to say goodbye to your friends and family."

Arthur was a little miffed. "I'm _from_ Oldale - my family are already there. I've already said goodbye to them."

Helen clapped her hands in joy.

"That's great! Now we don't have to waste time with the tears!" She leaped from her seat and started dragging Arthur to the exit of the Pokecenter. She gave him only enough time to recall the dazed Mirage.

Somehow she managed to drag Arthur all the way to the entrance to Route 101, the path to Oldale. She adopted a proud stance and faced the entrance with a burning passion in her eyes as Arthur rubbed his sore arm. She released Boom, then turned to face them both.

"ARE YOU TWO READY," She screamed at them, adopting a fighter's power stance. "TO BECOME CHAMPIONS?"

Boom began hopping and skipping about, energy in his every movement. He waved his arms and flamed his back to show his passion for the journey. Soon Boom was matching the flames pouring out of Helen's mouth with his own ardor.

"...?" Arthur, not so much.

Helen seemed to take that as satisfactory for now and pointed to the entrance. "NOW BEGINS OUR JOURNEY! TO ONWARD AND BEYONWARD!" She coughed a little bit.

"Are you okay?"

Helen gave him a trembling thumbs up. "Yeah… I shouldn't scream so much…" Two seconds later. "LET'S GO!". So began the march into Route 101.

Arthur's ears were going to hate him for going along with this, though not as much as Helen's voice.

* * *

(Two Hours Later)

Well, Arthur wasn't wrong, at the very least. They were finally taking a break on a pile of fallen logs. Arthur could finally let himself think after listening to Helen's incessant prattling.

His new 'Travelling Companion' wasted no time in training Boom once they started to travel. Arthur wondered if he should tell her that it was a bad idea. He remembered how exhausted Spring was from his training during their travel. During the Poochyena attack, Spring could only fire pathetic and ineffectual Supersonics. Helen continued to grate on his ears, her shouting strident and screaming passionate.

' _I'll let Boom take the brunt of her attention for know. I'll explain to Helen how she needs to be quiet over… dinner._ '

"Say, Helen? What have you planned for meals?"

Helen paused in her cheering of Boom and his practice Tackles. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We have to eat food, right? What do you have planned?"

"Well, we'll just... "Helen's face proceeded to pale, and Arthur had to stifle a groan. "We'll figure it out. Why do you ask?"

"Because right now is lunch time and I only have two sandwiches left."

Helen's face brightened again. "No problem! We'll finish the two sandwiches now and restock when we get to Oldale!"

"And our Pokemon?"

Helen's face paled again. At their feet, you could hear Boom's stomach rumbling. Looking at Boom's pitiable face, Arthur figured out what he was going to do.

He was getting a little tired of his mother's sandwiches, anyway. Best to use it on someone who hadn't had food today, then someone who had.

"Boom can eat my sandwich - I'll wait until we get to Oldale." Relief shone on Helen and Boom's faces. Despite his reluctance to give away his food, he found himself feeling quite proud and happy about his decision for some reason.

Arthur stood up and continued. "Anyway, let's walk for another hour or so. We've taken a nice break and we can wait a little while longer before we have to eat. We still have six hours left until we hit Oldale. With our limited rations, I don't think either of us wants to stay the night in Route 101."

Helen pouted but then nodded. With a sigh she recalled Boom, whispering "One Hour", and they went on their merry way.

* * *

(Six Hours Later)

Arthur and Helen reached Oldale, exhausted beyond all recognition. It… hadn't been an easy journey. Oh, there were no Poochyena attacks or anything of that nature, and they took breaks every hour or so, but by the end of it, their legs felt like electric pudding.

The pair of rookies reached the Pokecenter with the sun falling in the sky. After Helen handed Boom's Pokeball over they sat down for some food.

They ate some meaty yet tasteless Pokecenter meals ("Yuck!", stated Helen with eloquence. Arthur gave her an exasperated look). After feeding a starving Mirage, they began to wonder what they were going to do.

"So, we're going to some old dump tomorrow?" Helen asked, lounging on her armchair.

"Yes, to Old Man Walter's place. He lives in the Oldale Dump, and he's a good friend of Professor Birch's. He gave me my starter, and sent me over her." Arthur frowned, feeling a vestige of offense. "You could be a little nicer, you know. The Dump is one of the most interesting places in Oldale."

Helen looked skeptical, raising a thin eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? A dump - interesting? What could be interesting about a pile of trash." She smirked at him, daring him to retaliate.

Yet even though Arthur knew, his anger rose without a semblance of control. "It's not a pile of trash, it's a dump! What you're thinking of is a landfill, you stupid moron!"

Helen smirked, and his anger grew tenfold. He grabbed his Pokeballs, gave Helen a scathing look, and marched back to his room. He wasn't going to deal with Helen, not like this.

He locked himself in his room and clenched his fists. He wasn't going to break anything, of course - he was too old for a tantrum.

He settled for punching the bed, which was a somewhat cathartic experience. HE wouldn't be able to do it in the wild, of course, but over here? Sure.

Once he let out his strange anger, he started to ponder. When he woke up this morning, he didn't even have a Rival. Now he had one attached to his hip, and for what reason? Because… Helen felt like it?

No, Arthur wasn't going to stand for this. He was going to stop being a wet noodle! He was going to stop Helen's messing with his plans! And most of all, he was going to ensure he was on his own again!

Now… it was too early to go to bed, and Arthur hadn't built anything at least three days. He didn't have scrap or wires to make anything with, though. Arthur sighed and decided to use the PC in the room. He guessed could work on his coding skills for the night.

A press of a power button and smoke coming out of where it shouldn't and Arthur grinned.

Oh, he was going to build - or should he say, repair - after all.

* * *

That night, Arthur managed to repair the PC, which took only half an hour or so. The PC had a faulty heating system - an inactive heat sink, to be specific. Arthur contacted the reception about it. He convinced them he could handle the repairs (he used the magic word adults hated, "insurance"). He proceeded to replace the heat sink with a maintenance worker looking over him. The PC soon started to purr like a little Meowth. Arthur congratulated himself on a repair well done.

The maintenance worker looked at him, confused. "Kid, how on Hoenn did you manage that?"

Arthur shrugged. "I have a gift."

The maintenance worker stared at him. "This is more than just a gift, kid. I never thought a ten-year-old would be capable of what you just did."

Arthur smiled at him. "I learned from the best."

After the maintenance worker left, he began to program. He decided that he was going to code - or hack if it suited him - a programming app onto his Pokedex. That way, he didn't have to wait for the PokeCenters to get a chance to code. The programming of the app took longer than the reparation of the PC, at about two and a half hours. Luckily, he had the base code of a console already in his PC. He only had to get past Silph's DRM and tweak the interface to better fit the Pokedex. He decided to add some fun classes and objects from his previous work as well.

Approaching ten, he had finally managed to finish and install the app onto the Pokedex. Yawning, Arthur decided to call it a night. He released Mirage and Spring and let Mirage sleep next to him. He nodded off as Spring decided to absorb some more electricity from the PC.

Let him have his fun.

* * *

Arthur woke up feeling rather refreshed. He stretched a little bit and worked out some of the kinks that formed in his back as he slept. He recalled Spring and put on his clothes.

Now… how was he going to avoid Helen? He didn't feel like running back to her, even if he had gotten over his anger. He didn't want to be her traveling companion, either. Oh, she was nice to hang around with, he guessed (when she wasn't shouting or ignoring him). She was intolerable any long stretch of time, though.

He had had to worm his way out of Helen's grasp and get to the Dump in peace, and he had a plan.

"Mirage, make us invisible." Mirage looked up at him, confused. "You can use illusions, right? Make us invisible so we don't have to deal with Helen. We're ditching her."

A cold trickle ran through Arthur's body, and Mirage shimmered out of existence. Arthur checked his arms and sure enough, he couldn't see his arms.

Arthur smirked. "Ready?" Mirage's yep echoed out of nowhere. "Follow me and don't make any sounds, got it?".

With that, the invisible pair snuck out of the room and made their way to the lobby of the PokeCenter with care. Helen was eating cereal at one of the tables. While Arthur felt a little hungry himself, he promised himself he would buy and eat food later. He had to ditch Helen first.

As he opened the glass door of the Pokecenter, Helen looked up for a second. He felt fear race through him but refused to make a sound. Soon, though, Helen went back to her cereal. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and made his way out of the Pokecenter with haste.

As he found himself in the streets of Oldale, he smiled. "Mirage, disperse the illusions." With another trickle, the cold feeling disappeared, and he reappeared in the streets. He stretched and shook himself. "Off to the dump!"

After a short walk, they found themselves at the dump. Old Man Walter was busy reading a new book as a relaxed young man in a diamond patterned sweater tapped on a tablet. They both looked bored beyond belief.

Old Man Walter looked up and a smiled creaked itself onto his old face. "Oh, Arthur! You're finally here! Professor Birch told me you'd show up." At this, the sweater man looked up from his tablet as well and breathed a sigh of relief.

Arthur's face contorted in confusion. "How did you know I was going to be here? I didn't tell anyone, except for…" His face paled.

Now it was Old Man Walter's turn for confusion. "I told you to come here, remember? I said that I had an opportunity for you to make money as a trainer without having to fight battles." At this, the sweater man puffed out his chest.

Arthur, though, wasn't paying attention. "Oh no, oh no, oh no… she knows…" Arthur turned his face to Old Man Walter, pleading. "Can we please make this quick? I don't want Helen to find out that-"

"You don't want me to find out what, Arthur?" Fear lanced through Arthur's body, and his palms began to sweat. He turned around and viewed an irate Helen sporting a murderous glare.

"N-nothing… I felt like going to the Dump by myself. I definitely wasn't going to leave you." Arthur denied in a rush.

"So why were you invisible?" The color drained out of Arthur's face, and a prickling shame came creeping up his back.

"H-how!" Arthur stammered, confused.

"Oh, sure - the heavy glass door just _opens_ by itself and stays open for now reason. And when I go back to my food, it _miraculously_ closes." Helen gave him a knowing look. "Plus, you revealed yourself in the street. I could see you through the door."

Arthur flushed. "Sorry," he mumbled. "You annoyed me a lot last night and I didn't want to adventure with you anymore."

Helen judged him, looking stoic. Arthur felt his shame multiply as the opia between them grew. Then Helen let off a demented grin.

"I guess you won't be making _that_ mistake again, huh." She gripped his shoulder tight. His weak noodle body screamed out in wretched pain, so it was all Arthur could do to agree, in hopes of making her stop. Looks like he would have to tolerate her after all.

She gave off a predatory smile. "Good." Then Old Man Walter coughed and they directed their attention back at him. He and the other guy in the sweater were looking amused.

"Now that you're done squabbling, can we get to business?" Old Man Walter deadpanned. Helen and Arthur nodded.

The sweater man stepped forward, shoving out his chest and his hand. "Hello hello!" He stuck out his hand in a jolly way. They performed an awkward handshake, followed by a fist-bump that made Arthur want to die.

The sweater man continued unabated. "The name's Alexander Crystal, but I like Alex more - it's short and sweet. I like pie and looking at rare gems. I also like messing around with my Boldore and Vanillite, and am a good friend of Steven Stone, and…". Alex kept on rambling and Arthur forced a stupid smile onto his face. He could hear Helen laughing next to him as Old Man Walter cracked a smile. Traitors, the lot of them.

Old Man Walter saved him from his misery. "Alexander, back to the issue at hand." Alex then proceeded to snap out of his rant, flushing.

"Oh, sorry. I, uh, do that sometimes. Anyway, Old Walter over here told me about your problem. Your mom kicked you out of the house and you have to stay afloat for six months or so, right? Well, my pals will give you some money to travel, if you'll capture some pokemon for us every now and again."

"Capture?"

"You know, chuck a ball at a lot of pokemon and send them over." At my confused look, he sighed. "We're Suppliers."

Arthur's face cleared up. Supplying was a new business that had popped up in the last decade or so. Their job was to capture pokemon for various reasons. Some provided starters to budding trainers and adventurers. Others sold to companies who need a quick labor force. Others provided for some people willing to pay the requisite price for a pet.

When the business first got going, critics argued Suppliers were poachers in a thin disguise. As a response to the legitimate concerns, the League decided to install regulations. Endangered species were untouchable, as were the legendaries. The League reserved the right to fine heavy amounts if collateral damage occurred. Otherwise, if they stayed legal, they could exist.

Arthur hadn't thought about becoming a Supplier. It sounded boring to him - yet it was also workable for him now.

"Oh, you guys are Suppliers? Uh, yeah, sure I'll help."

Alex clapped his hands in joy. "Excellent! Now, I'll need you to sign your soul over." He snickered at Arthur's dumbstruck face. "Oh, few people fall for that one." Arthur flushed as Helen snickered behind him. She _must_ be enjoying this, huh.

Soon after that, though, Alex's smile lessened. "Ah, but I _will_ need a signed contract - company policy, can't do anything about it." He glanced at an amused Old Man Walter. "Do you have a printer or something?"

"Yeah, I built one a while ago, it's in my shack." Old Man Walter led them to the shack and within ten minutes they had a contract printed out.

Alex tossed Arthur a pen. "Sign it when you feel ready. Oh, and I recommend you read the fine print. I sprinkled some jokes here and there in it, and I want some feedback for my comedy routine."

Arthur glanced over it. There were some subpar jokes in the fine print, but he decided to chuckle anyway, and sure enough, Alex beamed. "Uh… yeah, this looks fine." Arthur lied. He didn't read it at all because the text, even with the lame jokes, was soporific.

"Great - now all I have to do is tell you the basics, and we're finished!" Alex brought out a Container Ball, a special type of Pokeball that stored non-living objects in it. Arthur would have to reverse engineer one of those at some point. They sure seemed convenient. Alex opened the Container Ball, and out popped a satchel of unique Pokeballs.

Alex took one out and started tossing it up and down. "These bad boys are special Pokeballs. They combine PC and modern Pokeball technology. Like cloud storage, a special server saves data in the Pokeball that comprise the Pokemon. This allows one Pokeball to catch many Pokemon. These will be the Pokeballs you will need for your job.

Alex gestured to the balls in a sweeping motion. "The exact mechanics are a little difficult to understand. From what I can tell it compresses the mass of the Pokemon into a dense sphere. You can send that sphere to us with a trading service. While the storage space for these Pokeballs isn't infinite, they can hold a lot of pokemon in them. They are unable to send pokemon back out, so don't use them for any personal captures."

"All you'll have to do is catch as many Pokemon in the balls as you can, and send them to us through a PC teleportation service. We'll handle the rest."

Arthur was feeling a little overwhelmed. "What are the rules, and how many Pokemon should I catch?"

Alex was quick to answer. "How many? As many as you'd like! You get paid for each Pokemon, extra for a rare or strong pokemon. Not too strong, though - we've learned our lesson when one of our Suppliers managed to capture a Hydreigon." Alex wiped his brow. "Now _that_ was a mess."

"As for rules? Be careful, stay on the right side of the law, and show respect for other people and their captures. Oh, and we're not going to bail you out if you break any laws - don't ask, you don't want to hear that story."

Arthur was feeling rather elated. "So I could catch Zigzagoon and you would be happy?"

Alex rubbed the back of his head. "Well, we'd like _some_ diversity, and I'm pretty sure Zigzagoons don't pay well. Still, you are well within your rights to do that. A couple of things to note, though. Polaris Vision, the company I, and now you, work for, supply a lot of Devon's Pokemon. Devon has a good track record and we're rather proud of our," here Alex made a funny face, " _alliance_. In exchange for the Pokemon, we get a lot of money and discounts from Devon. Our suppliers help them with the testing of their products."

Arthur leaned forward, apprehensive. "Testing?"

Alex nodded. "Yep - Devon trusts us and we have a lot of mobile trainers on the go, giving us some early access to Devon's technology. Those advanced Pokeballs? You're a beta tester."

Arthur stared at the sack in awe.

At this, Old Man Walter chuckled. "You don't seem so reluctant to go on this journey anymore, Arthur. See what this old man can do?" Old Man Walter's words fell on deaf ears as Arthur continued to stare.

"Send us a lot of good pokemon, and you can bet that we'll send you some good tech." Alex yawned and stretched, releasing an Elgyem from one of his Pokeballs. "See you guys later~" With a flash of a teleport, they were gone.


	4. Emotions

"So, we're hunting for Ralts'?" Helen asked as they walked through Route 102. "Aren't they super rare and hard to find?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah - Ralts are very rare and grow up to be powerhouses. I'm pretty sure a champion had one - it was Diantha in Kalos, most likely."

Helen pulled out her Pokedex. "Okay… Ralts… let me pull up its entry, I want to see what the Pokedex has to say about it." After tapping around on her Pokedex for a minute, Helen managed to locate the entry for Ralts.

The Pokedex screen lit up with an image of the diminutive Psychic-type: "Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition. They tend to search for happiness in collective blooms."

"... is that it? I can find out more about Ralts on my PC." Arthur asked, a little disappointed.

Helen shook her head. "No, that was only a little part of the summary. There's a lot more, but that covers the most important bits."

Arthur hummed. "Well, if we're going to find a Ralts, we'll need to be as happy as possible. Put on a smile, Helen!"

Arthur had been feeling very good. It had been a couple of hours since they met with Alex. They had bought some of the supplies they had needed. Stuff like, you know, _food_.

There, Arthur figured out the first difference between their spending habits. Helen was uncontrollable with her spending. Arthur had to drag Helen away from some of the stores.

"But it's a _Seal_ , Arthur! How can I battle if I don't show off to humiliate my opponents?"

Helen was such a Meowth, to be honest.

After they - or to be more precise, Arthur - bought their supplies, Helen wasted no time in dragging him around town. She told him she wanted to see the sights with a guide. Arthur didn't have the heart to tell her that Oldale Town was as boring as you could get.

After an hour, Helen realized how empty Oldale was, judging by how hard she pulled her hair.

"Why is there nothing in this old town? You guys don't have anything! How did you live here?!" She screamed at him.

"Well, if I'm remembering right, the people who founded Oldale were seniors. You only come to Oldale to retire or if you're a stay-at-home mom with her kids. I'm pretty sure that you won't find tourism, Helen."

"But something has to be interesting!" She was begging. "Come on, do you have any idea what we can do in Oldale? You lived here your entire life."

"Helen, if you've already forgotten, I've lived indoors for the most of my life. I never walked around outside. Life _is_ boring in Oldale, Helen. If you want to live here, you have to accept that."

Helen stared at him, gobsmacked, then grabbed his arm. "Yeah, okay, we're leaving. Sorry, Arthur, but I can't be in this lifeless town anymore. You were right, Arthur - the Dump _is_ the most interesting part of town."

So they made their way to Route 102, to where they were now. It would take half a week to reach Petalburg at their current speed, so Arthur decided to take his time. They were going to slow down for this Route, as the pace they had been going at for Route 101 was exhausting.

In the meantime, Arthur figured he would get started on his job - he couldn't wait to get some of that sweet tech. There were a lot of fairly standard Pokemon in Route 102 - Zigzagoon, Wurmple, Poochyena, stuff like that. In the river beds, Goldeen swam about and Corphish scuttled on river rocks.

But Arthur wasn't concerned with them. If he captured every Wurmple he found, the spiky larvae would drown him before he made it a mile in!

Suffice it to say, Arthur wanted something _more_ than the paltries. He wanted the rare ones.

The Poochyena, while powerful, had to compete with Lillipup for territory. Lillipup and _Herdier_. Wandering around the route were small covens of Gothita, staring at passersby. If you were lucky, you might be able to encounter a Surskit flitting over the water. Under the water lay tiny packs of Tympole.

Lillipup make great pets. Herdier and Tympole, once trained, made good guards. Gothita were sometimes used as mascots considering their dainty and elegant nature. Surskits were for pool cleaning and honey secretion.

All were useful Pokemon, and Arthur could tell that people would pay for them. Alex said he would get the tech after catching rare or powerful Pokemon. Given that he wasn't able to catch powerful Pokemon, he might as well go for the rare.

And which Pokemon was particularly rare? Ralts.

They weren't rare for the lack of population. Surskit were much less plentiful in the route.

Ralts were rare because of their defense - emotional telepathy. They could sense the emotions of those around them and use them to determine who was a friend and who was a foe. Combine that with teleporting, and you have a nasty duo to deal with.

"Okay, I get it Arthur, Ralts are rare." Oh - it seemed Arthur was talking out loud. "But how do you plan on finding one? Experienced Suppliers and Collectors only catch a few in their lifetime."

"Because they weren't happy, and I am!"

Infallible logic, Arthur knew.

In a peculiar way, it was true. As they walked on, Arthur felt himself filling with hopes and satisfaction. The happier and happier he got, the more he knew he was going to find a Ralts soon. The giddiness he felt upon that only made him happier.

Five whole hours passed with no sign of a Ralts appearing. Still, he and Helen carried on with gusto and pride.

Luckily, it wasn't a complete waste. A few Gothita appeared, intrigued. With no resistance, Arthur captured them with the special Balls Alex had given him. Arthur, after catching the Gothita, used one of the balls on a Lillipup who had passed by.

Alex was right - the Ball held more than one Pokemon in it. It felt strange - Arthur knew that Pokeballs were only supposed to keep one Pokemon. That's why you had to keep a separate Pokeball for when you evolved a Nincada into a Ninjask - for Shedinja.

As they were eating a lunch Helen made, Arthur mulled over the new technology. Arthur was altogether impressed. Devon had outdone themselves, revolutionizing Pokeball technology.

And to think - _he_ was a beta tester.

Let's say his joy levels skyrocketed right after that realization. He recalled Mirage, who was eating her own brand of Pokefood. He then set off ten times more invigorated than before. To maximize his chances, he passed a few of the special balls to Helen, to catch any Pokemon that he missed.

As they traveled, Arthur was delirious with joy. Every so often, he would scream with ecstasy and run off screaming into the woods. His insane joy frightened any Pokemon that would approach.

"RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS, RALTS!"

Pumping his fist in the air, Arthur chanted over and over again. Helen struggled to keep up. Even the most battle-hardened Mightyena fled from the loud and manic Arthur.

"Arthur...ARTHUR, SLOW DOWN!" Helen screamed. "Oh, I shouldn't have used it," she grumbled under her breath. "He'll scare any Ralts he comes across before he even gets a chance to catch one."

This would continue for some hours, in Arthur screamed for Ralts in a repetitive fashion. In the end, the sun had set with no Ralts in sight. Arthur had begun to wind down, his voice growing hoarse.

"I… WILL... CATCH... A... RALTS!" He screamed, before plopping down on the bare ground with a large smile on his face, asleep.

* * *

The bloom of Ralts that had been following Arthur in secret showed themselves at last. They could sense the boy's joy from miles away, the rapture that intense, and teleported near for a feast.

They didn't expect the boy's mania, though, and had retreated, trailing him. This kind of happiness didn't fade fast, not in their experience. A few of the younger Ralts in the bloom wanted to jump at him to extract as much joy as possible. The more experienced Ralts held them back. They knew how dangerous the boy could be, and that he was screaming their name.

Now that the boy had driven himself unconscious, they could get happiness from the boy's dreams. Oh, they couldn't use Dream Eater. None of the Ralts in the bloom were strong enough for those advanced psychic techniques.

They teleported close to the sleeping joy and began to empathize as much joy as they could.

Ralts didn't steal joy - that would have been altogether counterproductive. Instead, they used their emotionally-sensitive horn to sense a person's disposition. With practice, they could use it to sense desires and intentions. Wild Ralts needed to learn the technique before they could go scavenge for joy with the rest of the bloom.

Every Ralts in the bloom could sense the intention for 'capturing'. But they were reckless. That would last until the young Ralts came across the humans' tamed Pokemon. Then they would realize how dangerous 'capturing' is.

Any Ralts with a functional horn could sense the joy the boy radiated, though, strange and unreal it was. The boy's intentions… they weren't malicious. But then those like him rarely did have malicious intentions. Even the most amateur of Ralts knew that they weren't to deal with malice.

'Capturing'... wasn't malicious. Few Ralts actually knew what 'capturing' was, after the ball. All they knew was that once the humans found them, some of their kin left forever.

One would think they'd avoid humans at all costs- and for the most part, they did.

But humans were rich in positive emotion. Their emotions were much more refined, more palatable. The bloom didn't know why the humans were like that. Nonetheless, they lamented the dual nature of humanity.

As it stood, the bloom of Ralts would only feed when they were positive the humans wouldn't 'capture' them.

Such as now.

* * *

Helen stared at the bloom of Ralts, amused. To think - they would only come out when Arthur couldn't capture them.

She gripped her Pokeballs. Well, he gave some Pokeballs to her for a reason after all.

Helen threw a motley of Pokeballs to the empathic Ralts. Staying outside of their range of perception, they couldn't sense her until it was too late. Arthur's sheer joy blanketed all other signals. One by one, they began to get sucked into the Pokeballs.

Of course, some weren't hit by the Pokeballs, and once they were aware of the human, they immediately fled. Others managed to break out of the Pokeball Helen caught them in and teleported out of Helen's view as well.

But the others… the ball captured them completely. There was no hope for escape for them, as the ball clicked shut.

The crowd of Ralts disappeared into thin air or into Pokeballs. Helen walked up to the napping Arthur and woke him up.

* * *

' _Uugghh… my head hurts..._.' Arthur began to whine in his head as he regained consciousness.

"Mom, I don't want to wake up, I want to still be asleep." He said to some female figure over him.

"Not your mom, Arthur. Get up and look at what I've caught for you." Caught for him? What the…

"Helen?"

Helen smirked as Arthur brought himself into a sitting position. "Wakey wakey, Arthur. How are you tonight?"

"Wh… what happened?" The day had been a blur for Arthur. He had concrete yet sparse memories of the day. He remembered his attempted escape from the Pokecenter. He also remembered the meeting with Alex. Thinking a little harder, he remembered the hour-long shopping spree. All else he could recall was catching the Gothita and the Lillipup.

Actually, he could remember everything until lunch. After that… it was an unintelligible blur. Now he was in an unfamiliar clearing with the special Pokeballs scattered everywhere. Altogether, Arthur was afraid.

"I caught the Ralts you were looking for." Helen gestured on the ground. "They were sensing your happiness and came near once you were sleeping." She picked up a Pokeball from the ground. Unlike the other Pokeballs, this was your average Pokeball. "I even caught one for myself - Ralts looks like an interesting Pokemon to train."

"Hu… What happened?" Arthur was coming to his senses. "Why… How did I get here?"

Helen averted her eyes. "I hope you'll forgive me, Arthur."

"Forgi… What did you do to me?" Arthur was more confused than anything.

"I… take a look at this." Helen searched around in her bag and brought out a small capsule. Opening its cap, she brought out what looked to Arthur like a pinch of silvery dust.

"This… is Sparkle. It's a… seasoning." Helen shifted her eyes around. "A very special seasoning."

Arthur felt like he wanted to throw up. "You… you put that in the lunch, didn't you?"

Helen nodded. "Sparkle was a secret concoction invented by my family. I stole some before I left on my journey. Mom and Dad haven't taught me to make it on my own yet. I thought it might come in handy, and it looks like it did."

"What does… 'Sparkle'... do exactly."

Helen's eyes became glassy and distant. "Sparkle is a chemical, Arthur. It manipulates the brain a little bit. Once you take it, you'll be happy, hopeful, and optimistic for a couple of hours. Of course, it does make you go a little crazy while you're under the influence. It's not addictive if you're wondering."

Arthur wasn't worried about that at all. He felt sick looking at the capsule.

"Why… why do you have it? Why did you use it?"

"Our family uses a pinch when we've lost something precious. Not enough to go crazy, of course. Only enough to help us remember the good times and speed the grieving process a little bit so we accept the death."

Helen turned her eyes away. "They warned me not to use such a high dose - only ever a pinch. I dumped a quarter of the bottle into your lunch. I'm… sorry, Arthur."

In a strange sense, Arthur found himself calm. "You… you used it to make me happy, to attract the Ralts, right?"

"You were already happy, Arthur. But I could tell you weren't happy enough to attract the Ralts. I gave you a boost, that's all. If a little Sparkle makes you happy, a lot of it would bring Ralts to you like honey" Helen turned to him, tears in her eyes. "I… didn't know that would happen!"

Arthur, head pounding, sighed. "It's… it's alright. You said it wasn't addictive?"

Helen nodded. "Sparkle isn't addictive, as once you've had a dose it becomes ineffectual for weeks." She poured a little bit of Sparkle on her finger then swallowed. She looked no different. "I had some a week ago, to try it out. I was happy for a couple of hours, but when I tried it again the next day it didn't work."

She handed Arthur a little bit, and he tried it. It tasted like glitter. Arthur felt as confused and unhappy as he did before. "Oh… well, that's good."

"I figured that using it today was a good idea." Helen gestured to the rest of the Pokeballs. "And because of it, you attracted a lot of Ralts. These all have Ralts inside them." She tossed the one she caught up and down. "I even got a new Pokemon out of it. I… I'm sorry, but at least you have your Ralts now?"

Arthur wasn't particularly happy or sad right now. He stared at the balls on the ground. They had the Ralts he wanted. There were seven on the ground, which meant that he had, at most, seven Ralts with him.

If he felt normal, he would have been ecstatic if he only caught even one, but right now all he felt was empty.

He felt violated.

And if she had any other stuff like 'Sparkle'...

"Can I… Can I… Leave me alone, Helen!" He demanded, voice quavering.

Helen walked away and released her Ralts across the clearing, doing what Arthur asked.

Arthur gripped a stick nearby with a powerful grasp. Hands shaking he released Spring.

With a flash of light, Spring appeared in the middle of the air. Once Spring appeared, Arthur grabbed him tight. Spring resisted for a second, but let Arthur do what he wished.

Arthur began to sob. "Wha...What am I going to do, Spring? I… I'm scared!"

And that pretty much encapsulated what he was thinking. When he first met Helen, he thought she was going to be some normal Rival. He would only have to battle every so often to figure out his strength, nothing else.

Now? After their first battle? After the fight last night? After her return, and her gluing to his side?

After the Sparkle?

Helen… she scared him. More than his mother, more than the Poochyena, more than the Sparkle. Helen knew how to push his buttons, how to make him do whatever she wanted. She wanted a battle, she'd get her battle. She wanted his lunch, she'd get his lunch. She wanted him as a Traveling Companion, she'd get him as her traveling companion.

She wanted him to be unable to escape, and he'd never be able to. She wanted him crazy, she'd get him crazy.

And Helen… she was smarter than he was. Arthur knew how to program and build like nobody's business, and he was fine with that. Helen, though. could think three steps ahead of him. If she didn't want him to escape, he wouldn't be able to escape.

What was he going to do?

Arthur stared at Helen. Helen had named her Ralts already and was going through some early training with it.

Now that she had a Ralts, all distance was meaningless to her. There was no chance of him outrunning her.

Arthur… he had to step up. Helen was _too_ strong - he had to regain some ground, force her to respect his wishes.

Arthur relayed all this to the ever-patient and emotionless Spring. He had no one else to talk to - no one that he could trust. Mirage trusted Helen too much - Mirage loved Helen's petting.

"But how am I going to do it, Spring? Helen can push my buttons - I can't do anything to stop her!"

Spring floated in the air. It gave him an unamused glance as if to ask him why he was letting Helen walk all over his heart.

"But she controls me too well! She makes me _feel_ things, Spring! She scares me too much for me to fight her!"

Spring did not dignify this with a response.

Arthur took a deep breath. He had an idea. "I'm going to go show Helen that she can't walk over me. If I look like I'm getting walked over, shock me. Got it?"

Spring nodded.

Arthur took another breath. "Okay - I'm going in."

He walked up to Helen, who was busy teaching her Ralts how to weaponize her psychic powers.

"Helen? We need to have a t-talk."

Helen looked at him, a somber stare upon her face, and nodded.

Arthur took a deep breath. "I- you've been scaring me, Helen."

Helen adopted a confused look. "What do you mean, I've been scaring you."

"You… you're in control way too often. This… needs to be an equal relationship, Helen. You can't make me feel whatever you want me to feel - it's not right."

Helen's breath hitched. "What do you mean 'feel whatever I want you to feel?" She asked, her voice snapping.

For a second, he felt a shred of fear before it disappeared. "I… you play with my emotions too much, Helen. You made me too angry last night, you threatened me this morning, and you… the Sparkle."

Helen started sweating. "Wh… What's going through your head, Arthur?" She challenged, her face turning dark. Arthur felt a torrent of terror crash upon him. He shrunk back, not wanting to continue this conversation.

Then Spring shocked him back into remembering. "Like now. Stop it."

Helen began to glare, and the torrent of terror multiplied, and it wasn't _natural_. Helen was scaring him with _force_.

Arthur stood his ground.

Helen sighed. "Alright. I'll stop it." The torrent of terror disappeared and Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. Helen took the opportunity to leave, crossing the clearing to continue training.

Then Arthur asked a question. "How?"

* * *

(The Next Day)

Arthur and Helen had been avoiding each other all day. Arthur didn't know what to think of Helen. Somehow, she had some supernatural way to control his emotions.

If you had asked Arthur whether emotion frightened him or not before now, he would have scoffed. Arthur was calm, cool, collected, and a stoic! Nothing could shake him!

Then he met Helen, and that whole perspective changed.

Arthur hadn't realized how _much_ his emotions controlled him. He didn't know his way around his emotions and was at their mercy - and by proxy, Helen's mercy.

Helen wanted him helpless? All she had to do was multiply his fear, and he would be a quivering wreck on the ground. Helen wanted him to not think? Increase his rage and confusion. Helen wanted to humiliate him? Make him fall in love with a tree.

And if the rest of her family was like that…

Suffice it to say, Arthur kept his distance. Arthur wouldn't leave, because he didn't know if he was able to escape from her, _especially now._ But that didn't mean Arthur wouldn't be wary.

Arthur didn't know Helen very well. Oh, she was nice enough, when she was making him pee his pants or turning him into a happy insane maniac. But… yeah, he needed to watch them both.

Oh, and _never_ let Helen near the food _ever_ again.

 _Fool me once, shame on you_ , he thought darkly, _Fool me twice, shame on me. I won't let that happen._

He, of course, caught some Pokemon for his job. He caught a few more Gothita, some Lillipup, and a few Poochyena that annoyed him. None of them could fight hard against the stronger variant of the Pokeball.

They did come across some trainers, though.

They were walking across one of the rivers in the route - well, hopping (Arthur) and leaping (Helen), but you got the gist. They were about to get on their merry way, dusting themselves off, when they heard a voice.

"Oi, kids!" It came out of nowhere, echoing throughout the trees. Arthur spun about, trying to pinpoint its location, but failed and fell onto his butt. Helen, though, immediately looked to her left. Arthur, following her gaze, found a tall blue-haired woman tossing a Pokeball up and down.

As Arthur picked himself up and patted himself down, Helen responded. "Uh... yeah?"

"You kids are trainers, right?" At their nod, she let off a self-satisfied grin. "Fresh off the block, huh. You kids look like amateurs."

Helen's turned red. "Amateurs? We look like amateurs?" Helen hissed. "What's your name?"

The woman smirked. "Call me Dawn. It's been a while since I've had a serious battle. Come on kids, show me what you can do.:

Helen lit a fire in her eyes. "You bet!" She turned to Arthur, and he felt excitement rise up inside him. He knew that this was the result of her powers, but at this point, he couldn't care less. The excitement drowned everything else out.

Arthur sighed with an unbidden grin on his face. "I know you're making me want this, but what the heck. Let's do this."

Dawn grinned. "Double battle, 3 on 6. You'll need all the help you can get."

Helen frowned. "We only have 4 Pokemon total." She gestured to her two enlarged Pokeballs.

Dawn pouted. "Aww… fine, double battle, 2 on 6, until someone knocks out the opposing team's Pokemon." Then, for good measure, she added, "Spoilsports."

She grabbed one of her Pokeballs. "You two ready?"

In response, Helen and Arthur grabbed one of their Pokeballs.

Dawn grinned. "Perfect."

* * *

Arthur decided to release Mirage, as Spring already had his first battle yesterday.

Mirage appeared on the ground, napping. Of course, it was only for a few seconds, before she opened her eyes and got ready for battle.

Helen released Boom, and the happy-go-lucky Cyndaquil appeared hopping around in the battlefield.

Dawn whistled. "Wow, you two _are_ amateurs." She threw the ball in her hand. "Go, Bronzong!"

A large metal Bronzong appeared in the clearing. Arthur then realized how experienced Dawn must have been. He also wondered whether he could give up now to save himself the pain.

Helen thought otherwise. "Boom, Ember!" Boom shot a volley of embers straight at the Bronzong, who made no move to dodge it. The Embers splattered and splashed across the Bronzong's metal. It made no visible impact.

Dawn laughed. "That's the best you can do? How many days have you been on this adventure - one, two, maybe three?"

Helen turned pink. "I… shut up." Then Arthur felt it. A flood of emotions like fear and worthlessness started to course through him. All he wanted to do was to curl up into a ball and cry.

Dawn's grin immediately fell. "You…" She shook her head and grinned. "Figures." She waved her hand. "Bronzong, use a bunch of Confusions. That'll be enough to take the Cyndaquil out."

"Boom, dodge!" Boom could not dodge.

The Confusion barreled through the air at an incredible rate. While the first Confusion missed, the second one intercepted Boom in the air.

The force of the Confusion sent Boom flying backward, and he landed in a pile of dust next to Helen. A few seconds later, it was clear he wasn't going to get up any time soon.

Helen gritted her teeth. "I'll show you!" She pulled out her other Pokeball. "Ginny, you're up!"

The Ralts she had caught yesterday appeared in a flash of light. Dawn smirked.

"Wow, you managed to catch a Ralts. I'm impressed." She turned to Arthur. "Aren't you going to call out an attack."

Helen turned to him, peeved. Arthur felt himself go pink. "Uh… Mirage, Pursuit!" He remembered type advantage at the last second, thank Arceus.

Mirage ran up to the Bronzong, wreathed in crackling blackness. She slammed into the Bronzong with full force, knocking it back a couple of inches. Mirage retreated and began to circle Bronzong, looking for an opening. Arthur grinned.

Dawn laughed. "Ha!, You already managed to do more damage than she did!" She continued to laugh. "Oh, that's rich… Bronzong, trap it."

Mirage, who had been circling the Bronzong, found herself trapped in the Bronzong's metal arms. She struggled and strained with Pursuit, but the Bronzong held tight.

"And now, Payback."

Dark-type energy started flowing into Mirage. Her defiant growls transformed into weak whimpers.

"No, Mirage!" Arthur felt powerless. He could do nothing to stop Bronzong from hurting Mirage.

"Throw her to the ground, Bronzong." Bronzong stopped the Payback and flung Mirage to the ground. She would have hit the ground if Arthur hadn't recalled her at the last second. Mirage dissolved into light an inch off the ground and flew back into her Pokeball.

"Two down, two to go." Dawn stretched. "You know, Bronzong is stronger than any Pokemon you have. I can tell by the strength of those two. Cyndaquil are starter Pokemon, and the Zorua species is only found on Route 101. You two came from Littleroot, then."

Upon looking at their obstinate faces, she smirked. "Nice fire you got going there. You should actually, you know, team up. You can't touch Bronzong as it is - if you have _any_ chance of winning, it's together, not apart."

The trouble was, Arthur didn't trust Helen, not enough to cover his back in the battle.

Arthur sent out Spring, who appeared in a flash of light.

"Ginny, use Confusion!" Even Arthur knew that would have no effect. Sure enough, the Bronzong took the Confusion Ginny sent his way head on. It had no discernible effect whatsoever.

As Helen commanded Ginny to use Confusion, again and again, Arthur thought as fast as he could. Spring didn't know that many attacking moves. It only knew Thundershock and Tackle as attacking moves. Both of those were nigh useless against the Bronzong.

Then Arthur's eyes sharpened.

"Spring, magnetize yourself to Bronzong!" Spring _flew_ toward the stationary bell Pokemon and stuck to it like glue.

Dawn adopted a confused look. "What are you…?"

"Supersonic!"

What happened next was a pure marvel. The Supersonic waves, for lack of a better word, _echoed_ in the Bronzong's bell. The gongs became louder and louder.

"No!" Dawn cursed. "Not this issue again! Bronzong, I thought we had worked it out already." Dawn then tried to recall the Bronzong, but Bronzong wouldn't dissolve into light. "Magnet Pull too?!"

Helen grew a grin on her face. "Ginny, focus on the confusing aspect of Confusion and keep going!"

Ginny agreed, the different colored confusions fired at the Bronzong making more damage.

They, along with the Supersonics, began to take their toll on the Bronzong. The Bronzong struggled to use moves, flailing it large metal arms. It could do nothing, though, and it finally fell to the ground.

"Ugh! I thought that issue was behind us! Of _course,_ the enemy that uses that move has Magnet Pull as well." Dawn sighed. "That was such an issue when I was first working with Bronzong. I figured that once a Confusing enemy joined the fray, I would recall him. Magnet Pull prevents that, though."

Dawn then smiled. "Although most of Bronzong's damage was self-inflicted, you two pulled yourselves together. Glad to see where your priorities are." Dawn then grinned again. "But lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice. Go, Quagsire!"

Dawn then released what looked like your average Quagsire. Helen suppressed a snort. "That's what you have next? Quagsire's a joke."

Quagsire reacted with an oblivious smile. Dawn laughed. "Oh, I pity you. Kids, unless you want an impromptu bath, you should get the high ground."

"What do you me-"

"Quagsire, Surf Level 1!"

Then both of them realized what was about to happen. The recalled their battlers, before immediately scrambling up the nearest tree.

The river they had crossed ten minutes ago began to overflow. It resulted in a fast and large wave crashing over the entire field. The area became swampy, and only place untouched was a small circle around Dawn

Dawn smiled. "Oh, look - you guys recalled your Pokemon. Guess that means I win."

The two companions jumped down from their tree. "That's not fair!" Helen shouted, face red. "We had no choice, you fired a Surf at us!"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Kids, what does Article 2, Section 1 of the Pokemon League rulebook say?"

"Article 2, Section 1? Um… Arthur?" Helen was sweating bullets. "You know what that is, right?"

Arthur _did_ remember, actually. "Uh, yeah. Article 2, Section 1 says that a Pokemon's trainer is liable for all damage the Pokemon causes." Arthur recited.

Dawn nodded. "Now, thinking about that, what would happen if that Surf hit you?"

"We'd get hurt, and you'd get into a lot of trouble?" Helen offered.

"Exactly. Which is why I trained Quagsire to not hit people when he uses Surf. It took a bit of time, but with a little training he can redirect the Surf to not hit people." Dawn smirked. "I wanted to see your faces as you dove for cover - it gets people every time."

She then pointed to the circle of dry ground around her. "See?"

"But! But!" Helen was having trouble forming words. "But that's not fair!"

Dawn raised the eyebrow. "What part? Using the Surf or telling you to take cover?"

"Both!"

"Well, Helen, some moves have more of an impact than others. While it's a costly move, Surf is a great attack for flushing out enemies. It also forced the battlefield to work on your terms. Don't worry, by the time you can get around to using Surf you'll already have figured out some counterattacks for it."

"And as for telling you to take cover? In sanctioned matches, you won't be seeing stuff like that. In the wilderness, you'll find plenty of trainers willing to lie and cheat their way to some quick victory money. You'll have to figure out which ones are actual threats and which ones are only hot air. The swindlers will bank on your survival instinct, in the end."

Helen was silent. "Uh…" Arthur's eyes shifted around. "Do you… want your prize winnings, or…"

"Nah, you can keep it. I already have plenty of cash as it is, with all my sweet wins, and you guys will need the money more than I do. Plus, I had forgotten all about Bronzong's weakness until you showed me it in battle. I'll have to make some adjustments to Bronzong's fighting style. You know, buy some Persim Berries, teach Bronzong some more counters, that stuff. That was worth more than the money I've earned." Dawn flashed another grin. "Thanks!"

The grin fell away to something more somber. "Anyway, you two are traveling together?"

Helen nodded, motioning at Arthur to shut up.

"Well, then, you should work on your teamwork. Attacking at the same time is a _start,_ but it's not enough. Taking turns whaling on an opponent is asinine as well. Figure that out as soon as possible. Oh, and uh… what's your name, you two?"

"Helen."

"Arthur."

"Arthur, nice move with the Supersonic. It's a little refreshing, seeing someone innovate like that. Work on it. Nice capitalization too, Helen. As I said, you pulled yourselves together." Dawn walked past them and over the overflowing river. "See you two soon!"

* * *

"Helen, we need to have a talk."

Helen sighed. "Yeah, we do."

Arthur and Helen had put up camp for the night. They were a day from Petalburg and would make it the following day, most likely. Once they had found a nice campsite, Helen took the time to train while Arthur set up.

After an hour or so, Arthur called Helen over for dinner. Sitting by the fireside, they talked.

As they ate food, Helen sighed. "You know, no one's ever found out before."

"Your power?"

"They all figured it was some irrationality. They didn't realize that I was actually controlling their emotions." Helen inhaled some of her food, a bowl of grub. "How did you find out?"

"I didn't - I thought you played with emotions like a normal person."

Helen set the bowl down. "Huh. Figures that I was the person to tell someone, in the end. You know, everyone made that assumption. Everyone who has known me for any long period of time thinks I'm manipulative. Even my parents haven't figured out the truth. I don't know how I would tell them, anyway."

"You know, you _are_ a little manipulative - the Sparkle, remember?"

Helen sighed. "Sparkle isn't real, Arthur. That was glitter - it was my last resort. I used my power on you to its limit- no magic mind powder required. Heck, those tears I shed? Krookodile tears."

She gripped her bowl and stared into it. "I'm not going to stop, you know. I've tried, many times, but if I try to stop I do it by accident. It's like a valve - I can hold back my power for some time, but I'll lose control at some point." She looked up to the sky. "What do you plan on doing, Arthur? I don't feel like lying to you anymore - I haven't been able to tell this to anyone before."

Arthur didn't know what to do. He should do the rational thing (or follow his gut). His gut was going to be an incorrigible liar as long as Helen was around. Something told him that he would regret dismissing her, leaving his rationale confused.

Arthur took a deep breath, then made a decision. "I… I've had some time to think about it. We… have gotten off on the wrong foot. It's been only two days - I didn't think it would be this… draining."

Helen gave an acerbic laugh. "To tell you the truth, 'Travelling Companions' are something I made up. It was something based off those fairy tales, you know. Gallant knights working with wise wizards and crafty rogues to save the world. It would be a big group of friends on an adventure. I would keep up spirits with my power, and we would conquer everything in our path"

She adopted a rueful smile. "I… didn't realize how hard it would be to keep a secret when you're always so close. I… didn't trust you, Arthur."

"To tell you the truth, I get it." Arthur offered his hand. "Can we … I don't know, start things off again on a new foot?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." They shook hands, and Arthur felt something warm crawl into his chest. Whether it was genuine or Helen's power, Arthur didn't know.

Arthur didn't care, either.

* * *

The next day was much more lively than the previous day. Helen, discarding the ridiculous buoyant persona, was much more fun to talk to. Arthur caught a few more Pokemon for his job. As he worked, he found himself a little more engaged in his conversations with Helen.

Her commentary made everything funnier. Arthur reckoned it was her power at work.

Either way, the hours soon flew by.

"Is that Petalburg?"

"Arthur, what else would it be? Oh, I don't know, it's a three-thousand square foot shack in the middle of nowhere. Who knows?"

Of course, a lot of Helen's humor was caustic and derogatory. She seemed to enjoy ridiculing everything she came across and threw a few jabs his way. Arthur retaliated in a good humor.

They walked up to the guard gates. After getting their trainer IDs checked, they walked into Petalburg.

Petalburg was… quaint, for such a big city. Oh, there were streets, but they weren't like the bustling motorways Arthur had seen on the internet. It was something that felt somewhat familiar to his country soul.

Large trees lined cobbled sidewalks with little kids hanging from branches. The few roads were dirt rather than concrete, and there was grass _everywhere_.

Asking some of the locals, the two of them found their way to the nearest PokeCenter.

After dropping their Pokeballs off to a dozing Nurse Joy, Helen stretched. "Hey, Arthur, do you mind if I look at some of the sights around Petalburg? Oldale didn't do it for me, and I want to visit the Gym, see what sort of battles I should look forward to. Norman only accepts challengers that have half of their badges, so I'll only spectate."

She waved goodbye to Arthur. "See ya!" And with that, she was off.

Soon, Arthur was alone in the PokeCenter. With a little bit of time to himself and with a degree of privacy, he decided that he would work on his skills. He would have to find a way to get scrap in the wilderness for his projects, though. Once every couple of days was too little of a time frame for him.

He was busy putting the finishing touches on the code when the Pokedex began to spark.

"What on…" his mouth managed to get out before the Pokedex let out a large puff of smoke.

"Baa." Then Arthur heard some crackles, and he turned to find himself face to face with a Mareep. A couple of electrical arcs crisscrossed through the Mareep's skin. "Baa."

"Why hello!" Someone shouted near his ear. Arthur spun about, feeling his heart race and beat. There, a blue-eyed boy his age stood, grinning.

The boy put out his hand. "Hey there! My name is Connor!" Nervous, Arthur shook Connor's hand, only for Connor to multiply the power in the shake.

"Glad to see there are no hard feelings! Sorry about that, Merry tends to fritz out electronics when she goes near them. I'll lend you the reparation bills for the… uh, what is it?" Connor asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Pokedex. A Professor-grade Pokedex." Arthur answered, more amused than anything.

"P… Pokedex?" Connor's face whitened. "Well, I mean, he can fix it, right? You won't need _my_ help, right?"

Arthur didn't need or want Connor's help with reparations. But Arthur decided to mess with him - he ruined his code, for goodness sakes. Does Connor even know how much data he wasted with Merry's electricity?

"Oh, _no_. We need… oh, I don't know, at least a million Poke to repair it. I mean, as _you_ were the one to break it…" Arthur shrugged. "I guess _you_ will be the one to pay me back."

Connor's face whitened even further. Then it changed back to normal, and Connor began to laugh. "Pff… yeah, you got me. Take me away officer!" He held out his arms so Arthur could take him away in faux handcuffs.

They stood like that for a couple more seconds. Then they started snickering, falling to stitches.

"Arthur? Helen? Your Pokemon are ready?" The local Nurse Joy called. Still chuckling, Connor walking behind him, Arthur picked up his and Helen's Pokeballs.

As he returned, Connor wiped away his tears. "Oh… so, no hard feelings?"

"Buy me an ice cream, and we'll call it even." Arthur was feeling rather merciful. Plus, he now had somewhat of an excuse to take apart the Pokedex and reverse-engineer it.

"Deal!" The two of them then proceeded to walk to the cafeteria, where Connor ordered the two of them some ice cream. Arthur decided to release Spring and Mirage as well, for fun.

As they ate food, they talked. "So, what's your deal?" Connor asked. "I mean, that's a Professor-grade Pokedex, right? How'd you get your hands on a beauty like that?"

As Arthur had some funny tasting ice cream, he answered. "Well, I know a guy who knows Professor Birch. I don't know from where or when, but they seem pretty well-connected." Arthur slurped some of his ice cream. "I managed to get a cool Pokedex out of it, too."

"Cool! So you on the gym circuit or something?"

"No, my friend Helen is on the gym circuit - well, I'm supposed to be on it too, as I'm her Rival. Still, I don't care for Gym Badges, so Helen and I will only battle each other every so often. Nothing too big. I'm only a Supplier, after all!"

It felt strange saying that. Being a Supplier was still a weird experience for him.

"Oh! I should transfer the Pokemon I caught to Alex!" Arthur jumped out of his seat and ran toward the GTS machines. He connected to a number Alex gave him.

Luckily, Alex picked up. "Hey, Arthur, nice to see you! You're in Petalburg?"

"Yeah, and I've got plenty of Pokemon for you!" Arthur placed the balls of the Pokemon he had caught on the transfer machine. "Will this work?"

Alex nodded. "Yup! I'll be able to take the Pokemon you caught now." The Pokeballs flashed a light a couple of times, before dimming. "Alright, the Pokeballs are now empty. Let me check what we've received… Cool! You got a Ral- _six Ralts_! How did you catch them - no, how did you find them?!"

"I… uh… had a little bit of help." Arthur admitted.

"Either way, this is magnificent! Nice job, and with a whole bunch of other Pokemon to boot. This is a good haul, Arthur. I'm wiring the money to your account right now! Keep it up, you'll get benefits in no time!"

That helped to cheer Arthur up.

"Either way, I'll be seeing you soon!" The communication link cut out.

Connor whistled behind him. "Six Ralts? What are you, a Pokemon magnet?"

"No, as I said, I had a little bit of extra help." Arthur waved Connor off. "Nothing too big."

Connor looked a little intrigued. "What kind of help did you get?"

"Well, my friend and I baited them with some positive emotions, that's all."

Connor nodded. "Cool, coo-" Connor grabbed his stomach. "Oh, you… you…"

Arthur grabbed his stomach as well. "Don't try to pull a fast one on me, Connor."

Connor grinned with pain. "Bathroom?"

"Bathroom."

The two of them proceeded to run straight to the nearest bathroom. They then vomited for several minutes. Green bile spewed everywhere.

Once they finished and were weak in the knees, they sat down.

"Ugh… so, how did you get the ipecac into my ice cream?" Connor asked

"While we were over at the transfer machines, Mirage took a bit of time to drop a load of it into your ice cream. Don't complain, Connor." Arthur threw up a little bit more. "You dropped a load yourself into my ice cream when we picked it up, didn't you?"

"I was…"*hoooolp* "messing with you. Thought it would be a little funny to see you vomit, even tease you a little bit."

"Well, you reap what you sow." Arthur's face turned a little green. "Oh, dear Arceus, it feels even worse now."

Mirage, who was next to them in the bathroom, started yipping and snickering. Spring didn't do anything, as usual.

They threw up for a few more minutes to get all the ipecac out. Afterward, they collapsed on the tiled ground of the bathroom, wiped out.

"Oh… oh, that was… " Arthur couldn't finish. "Ugh…"

"Can we _not_ talk about it now?" Connor replied, worn out.

"Yeah, yeah… so, uh, you a native?"

"No - I'm from Floccesy Town, in Unova. My Mom thought it would a good idea for me to travel to a foreign region, see the sights you know. It's been… pretty boring. I mean, I've only been in Hoenn for a couple of hours, but still…" Connor grew a weak smile. "Anyway, I've decided that while I'm in Hoenn, I'll do what the Hoenesse do - become a Showman."

"Cool, cool, sounds great."

Pokemon Showmen were a larger class of trainers called Pokemon Entertainers. This included people like Coordinators, Actors, and Performers. They were the people who put on fun costumes and wowed the crowds. They had impressive stunts with their Pokemon.

The male Showmen were the Hoenesse's response to the female Performers in Kalos. Especially among women, they were popular. Wearing spectacular outfits, they would show off complex moves with their trained Pokemon.

Arthur had watched a Pokemon Show online once when he felt bored. It was nice, he guessed. Connor, with his general affability, would make a great Showman.

"Ugh… anyway, we should get up. Helen might be looking for me." Arthur checked himself in the green-tinted mirror. He needed to…

"Uh… Connor? Why is the mirror green?" Arthur asked, a little worried. The mirror was clear and colorless when they first came in.

"The better question is, why is the air green?" Sure enough, the air was green. In fact, Arthur was feeling a little light-headed.

Arthur dropped to the ground, dragging Connor down with him. Gas rises, so he would be minimizing the amount the inhaled… he hoped.

He and Connor crawled to the door, hoping for some answers.

Budging the door open, Arthur saw uniformed men walking around the trainers. They seemed to be reaching into the (unconscious?) trainers pockets.

"Man, is this easy pickings or what? Pump some sleeping gas and they're ripe for picking." One of the uniformed men commented to another, his voice altered by a gas mask.

"Pipe it down, you could wake up a trainer. Fighting isn't our business. Put the Pokemon in the bag so we can rewrite the Trainer ID."

"Fine, fine…"

Then he said something that gave Arthur chills. For ten years, a power vacuum in the Hoenn underground went unfulfilled. But...

"Team Regal better pay me extra, you know."


	5. Pokecenter Attack

Team Regal. Arthur sat there, trying to comprehend those words. He simply couldn't.

Teams had been disbanded for years - nobody had seen any serious teams since Team Flare the Kalos Affair. Even then, it was debated whether Team Flare was an actual Team or not, given that they didn't use intimidation tactics.

Arthur heard the members of Team Regal - whomever they were - stomping around and picking up Pokeballs. The sound seemed to snap him back into action, and he scrambled backward on the ground, trying to get away from the door as fast as possible. He wasn't going to bother facing a team, not when they had something like knockout gas with them.

Connor, who was reeling as much as he was, turned around and stared at him. "Arthur, who are these people?" His eyes bored into Arthur as he asked this question.

Arthur shook his head. "Does it look like I know who these guys are? I don't want to be within a mile of a member a Team. Do you know what a Team can do?"

Connor gulped. "Yeah - but I thought they were gone."

Arthur shook his head. "Not anymore."

Teams were well-known menaces of the past. After years of various Teams trying to obtain legendaries for their own benefits to take over the world or whatever, the various Leagues decided to do something about it.

Connor looked at the door, his eyes gaining the fire of defiance. "They're not a joke, aren't they?" His tone left no room for question.

If there was any inkling of a new Team sprouting up anywhere in a region, the League would come down on them full force and try to quash the maleficent group before it got anywhere near strong enough to accomplish its objectives.

Most underground groups decided to become small-time gangs instead. They wouldn't have to be worried about the League dispensing ruthless justice when they were only a group small enough to break the laws every now and again.

If there was another fully fledged Team running around, one that had managed to attract enough members despite having the label of Team, then it was plain stupid to not take them seriously.

Connor took a deep breath, then continued to speak in low tones. "We have to... we have to fight them. Stop them. We can't just let this lie, Arthur. All those people...They can't lose all of their pokemon. We can't let their Pokemon fall into the hands of a Team."

All Arthur could feel was fear. Nonetheless, he drew up his nerves. No matter how scared he was, Connor was right. No matter how he felt about the matter, neither of them could see the Pokemon stolen, not lying down at least.

Anyone who had a shred of decency within them knew not the separate a Pokemon from a trainer. Not even the most unscrupulous of corporate scumbags would stand to see a loyal Pokemon torn from their loving trainers.

No matter how much Arthur wanted to run from the hills, Arthur knew, with no doubt, that if he ran and did nothing but protected his own behind, he would be regretting it for years to come.

Most of all, Arthur had a shred of decency within him.

"Yeah. You're right." Even as Arthur said that the fear rose up again. He ruthlessly squashed it down again and continued. "But we can't fight them - not directly, anyway."

Arthur was fairly logical, or at the very least he thought he was. He knew that he was only a starting trainer. He had lost every fight that he had been in so far if you counted the loss against Dawn. The fear that kept rising put that in his mind very clearly.

He would only be a burden if he and Connor fought Team Regal directly, and that was assuming Connor was stronger than he was. If you were to understand that, then it would follow that the both of them fighting Team Regal directly would be beyond idiotic.

Arthur dearly wanted to go up to the members of Team Regal and punch them in the face for what they were doing, regardless of his fear. Nonetheless, he held himself back and continued to talk to Connor.

"I don't know about you, but we can't face them right now in a straight battle. We have to fight them some other way."

Connor slowly nodded and coughed a little bit. "Alright, what's the plan?"

Then Arthur's mind came up with a blank. All he could think of was to go up to them directly to battle. He had no inspiration for any strategy he could enact.

The fact of the matter was that Arthur was virtually powerless in this situation. Honestly, he wished he could just pass on the responsibility to someone who had more power or time or...

Arthur shook his head, coming to a realization. "Look, Connor, let's just call the police," Arthur stated, both a little morose and glad.

Connor frowned. "Why?"

Arthur peeked into the hallway. Sure enough, the members of Team Regal were still pickpocketing the unconscious trainers littering the Petalburg center lobby.

"I don't think we're strong enough to take them on ourselves. I've never won a pokemon battle before, and we would have to face all of those grunts. They'd probably be able to get away with a few once we start battling them, anyway."

Connor sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He pulled out what Arthur identified as an Xtransceiver. "I'll make the call."

Connor punched in a hotline for the Petalburg police, which was thankfully posted on the wall of the bathroom, along with a bunch of amusing ads for Poffins and Pokeblocks.

Both of them waited with bated breath for the police to pick up. Arthur's palms began to sweat, making his hands wet on the linoleum floor.

However, after three rings, an intercept message rang out. "We're sorry; we are unable to complete your call as dialed. Please check the number and dial again, or call your operator to help you.".

Connor cursed and began to punch in the numbers into the Xtransceiver again. But as he was punching in the numbers, a female voice resounded through the lobby, muffled. "Guys, the gas may have missed somebody. The jammer detected somebody trying to make a phone call."

There was a cavalcade of muffled shouts, and Arthur realized just how badly their plan went. A jammer - they were blocking radio waves, which meant he and Connor couldn't contact the police.

He turned back to Connor, panic in his eyes. In response, Connor gripped Merry the Mareep's Pokeball.

'We have to fight. Now." Connor seemed to be communicating with his eyes. Arthur sighed himself, then recalled the sleeping Mirage. She wouldn't very useful in the following fight anyway.

He signaled to Spring, who was watching all of the events in the corner with a cool eye. On the count of three, they would leap out and... do something. Arthur wasn't sure what they had to do, but nothing wasn't an option anymore. After all, the members of Team Regal wouldn't hang around forever.

Connor held up three fingers and started counting down.

Three.

Two.

One-

Just as Connor let down his last figure and they tensed for the charge into the lobby, the door to the bathroom slammed open. Arthur, who had been peeking out of the bathroom door a few minutes earlier, had his head slammed by the door. He saw stars flying around his head as he tried to regain a sense of location.

Then he heard a muffled chuckle.

"Guys, I found our little rats. I'll handle them before I take my crap." There was a round of chuckles in the lobby, and Arthur saw a look of fear develop on Connor's face.

"You... you don't want to hurt us!" Connor shouted, deeply panicked. "We're not that dangerous!"

Arthur's head finally cleared. His chest felt funny, so he took a deep breath, only to remember halfway through the breath where he was. He planted himself firmly on the ground and breathed from there.

"Look, kid, I don't want to kill you. That's a given. I'm not a sadist." The member of Team Regal flashed a charming grin.

Connor's spirits increased slightly. "So, you're not going to-"

"Not going to kill you, yes." The member of Team Regal's grin turned psychopathic. "I'll just take your pokemon and make you rue the day you came into this center.

The hope drained from Connor's face as Arthur slowly picked himself off the ground. Connor gripped his Pokeball tightly, and his finger neared the release button.

And it would have made it, had the Team Regal member not slapped him straight across the face. "No. Bad boy. Sit."

Connor recoiled from the slap and dropped Merry's Pokeball. As he dropped the ball, the member of Team Regal released a Munna.

"Hypnosis. Knock the pansy out, nothing too fancy."

The Munna complied and sent waves of pink energy toward Connor's face. Connor, by reflex, took a big whiff and fell sound asleep, the amount of soporific gas in the air too much for him to handle.

The Team Regal member looked bored as he faced the transfixed Arthur. "One down, one to go."

Arthur recoiled. All of a sudden, any desire to fight these guys flew out the window. All he could think about was escaping as fast as possible. All moral duty left him. He wasn't going to deal with this problem, not him, no way.

Then Spring shocked him, literally.

As the member of Team Regal raised his eyebrows in surprise, Arthur found a strange sort of courage fill him. Just two nights ago he had asked Spring to shock him if he found himself turning into a pushover. It seemed like Spring hadn't forgotten about that order.

With the shock, Arthur felt some courage enter him again. He wouldn't be able to escape and against all of the members of Team Regal, he wouldn't be able to win. He wouldn't be able to call for help, either, with the jammer in play.

All he could do now was lose to Team Regal.

So why did he feel nothing but determination?

Arthur got on one of his knees. "Spring, Thundershock the Munna!"

Spring sent a Thundershock toward the Munna.

"Munna, intercept with a Psybeam, then use Hypnosis on the Magnemite."

As the Thundershock raced toward the Munna, it was caught by a Psybeam. Arthur grit his teeth to shout another command, but by the time orders left his lips the Munna had already used the Hypnosis on Spring, causing him to fall into a doze.

Arthur tried to reach for Mirage's Pokeball, to have at least a sliver of a chance. But before he could, the Munna fired an Imprison at him, freezing him in place.

"Kid, you lasted a nice... ten seconds, was it? Real impressive." The member of Team Regal snickered. "Look, kid, no hard feelings, but you're pathetic. I don't mean that in the whole, 'I'm a bad guy so I must arrogantly be a douche' kind of way. But seriously, you didn't last a minute! You looked like you were about to piss your pants!"

He continued to snicker. "So, where's your comeback. Where's the hero's witty retort before the reversal. Where is it?"

Arthur began to see red as the member of Team Regal rummaged around in their pocket. "And you know what, kid? Your best and worst idea today was to call the police. Seriously, did you think we didn't plan for something like this?" He pulled out a small metal machine. "Look, all we need is one little jammer - just one - and no signals will pass through. And if our jammer jams something, we know."

He grinned. "You never really stood a chance."

All Arthur could do was glare at the jammer. If it wasn't there, he and Connor would have been able to call the police. Heck, maybe if Merry hadn't destroyed his Pokedex, he would have been able to rig some way past the jammer...

Wait - Merry had destroyed the Pokedex, an electronic. The jammer was also electronic. The static charge from Merry had destroyed the Pokedex. That meant...

"Spring!" Spring, who had been able to resist the Hypnosis somewhat, snapped to attention. "Thundershock the jammer!"

An arc of electricity danced out from Spring's magnets. The member of Team Regal cursed and tried to whip the jammer out of the way of Spring's attack. Unfortunately, the bolt of lightning hit the jammer, causing large sparks to jump out of it. Soon, there was a large POP, and the jammer began to send out whiffs of smoke.

The member of Team Regal looked furious. "Damn you! That jammer was a prototype! You're going to suffer for that!"

The member of Team Regal walked over to him. Arthur couldn't escape from the punch the member sent his way. The boiling pain sent Arthur spitting. Arthur collapsed on the ground, tears falling from his eyes.

"You like that, brat?!" The member of Team Regal was pissed off. "I don't care about laying low or not hurting anyone anymore. **** that!"

There was a kick, then a stomp, followed by some more kicks and some more stomps. Arthur was failing to keep track of all of the damage the member of Team Regal was dealing him.

Eventually, the kicks stopped. The member of Team Regal put his foot on Arthur's chest and put his body weight on him.

Arthur's eyes shot open. He tried to open his mouth in a silent scream, but no words were forthcoming. He shot a glance toward the member of Team Regal and saw nothing but a toothy smile.

That man... he was going to pay.

Arthur switched his gaze to the phone, and suddenly his thinking grew crystal clear as a power grew inside of him. He was too weak to do anything. He didn't know how to fight, his muscles had only just started to grow for adventuring, and he was injured.

Not only that, but the Munna had put Spring to sleep again, and this time it was much stronger than it was previously. He would be getting no help from Spring, not now. Mirage was in her Pokeball, but his arms were shattered.

Connor was still sound asleep. But his Xtransceiver...

Arthur somehow intuitively knew that the Xtransceiver was his chance. With all of his might, he extended his thoughts to the Xtransceiver, begging for it to turn on.

Somehow, in a miracle of all miracles, the Xtransceiver screen lit up.

Psychic powers! He had psychic powers!

He mentally punched in the numbers to the police station. Soon, the Xtransceiver began dialing.

The member of Team Regal stopped standing on Arthur, seeing where his gaze lied. "What the..."

Then the Xtransceiver picked up, and the video feed picked up a bored dispatcher. "Petalburg Police, what is your emergency..." The dispatcher's eyes widened, seeing the member of Team Regal's uniform. "

"Code T! Code T!" The video feed cut off as the member of Team Regal smashed the Xtransceiver, stomping on it. There was a sickening crack, which made Arthur suspect that Connor's wrist hadn't been spared in the stomp.

The member of Team Regal's face was chalky white. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..." His eyes shifted to Arthur. "This is bad, this is bad."

"Brandon, what's taking so long? I thought you were beating the crap out of the kids." Another member of Team Regal walked into the bathroom, noting the devastation. "Heh, you messed them up good. Come on, knock em out and take their Pokemon. We can't hang around for too much longer."

The other member of Team Regal then noticed the look on Brandon's face. "Hey, what's up."

"We... we should leave as fast as possible. Run" The other member of Team Regal raised his eyebrows.

"Uh... why?"

"They found out. The kids managed to snitch." The member of Team Regal showed the broken jammer to the other member of Team Regal.

The other member of Team Regal was silent for a long time. The other member of Team Regal began to cringe, his remorse apparent.

Without a second's notice, the other member of Team Regal slammed his fist into Brandon's gut. Brandon, who had been tormenting Arthur a few seconds earlier, doubled over. The sight of Brandon's pain somewhat revitalized Arthur, who brought himself up to a sitting position.

The other member of Team Regal pulled out a Pokeball as Brandon nursed himself on the ground, and proceeded to release an Elgyem.

"Elgyem, squeeze."

The Elgyem's jade eyes glowed slightly, and a green halo appeared around Brandon's head. Arthur's mouth gaped open slightly as the members turned on each other.

The other member shouted out into the hallway. "Guys, we've been discovered! Take as much as you can and leave!" There was a lot of shouting and scrambling around at that point, and a sinking feeling began to grow in Arthur's gut. Team Regal was going to escape, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Brandon began to scream. The constricting halo of green light broke through his skin and entered his skull. Arthur felt nauseous as Brandon's eyes began to bulge out. With a sickening crack, Brandon's eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Elgyem, stop." The green halo of light dissipated. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, for some reason. The green halo of light sent shivers down his spine.

"Now do the same to the brats."

The Elgyem turned dead eyes onto him. Arthur's mouth turned slightly dry as the Elgyem's eyes glowed jade.

Almost unconsciously, Arthur threw Mirage's Pokeball. In a flash of light, her dark form coalesced.

Arthur began to feel a sharp pressure around his head.

"Pursuit!"

Luckily, Mirage didn't need too much context. She slammed into the Elgyem in a shroud of dark energy before it or the member of Team Regal could react. The headaches disappeared, and Arthur shakily stood up.

This was it, do or die. Team Regal would escape, nothing about it. Arthur was still in danger, though, and he needed to get out of it.

"Mirage, don't let up! Beat that Elgyem senseless!" Arthur screamed, his voice weak from pain.

Mirage used Pursuit continuously, slowly wearing down the Elgyem as it got its bearings. Arthur knew he was winning, but stayed wary. Dawn's lesson from yesterday stuck firmly in his mind - the battle wasn't over until the Elgyem fell unconscious and the unnamed member of Team Regal was captured.

The unnamed member of Team Regal grit his teeth. "Bah... Elgyem, Miracle Eye and Psybeam."

There was a small flash of light and a glowing apparition of an eye appeared in the space between the two. The Elgyem then fired a Psybeam at Mirage. Arthur expected it to simply bounce off her like usual, but it sent her flying.

Arthur's eyes widened - now Elgyem could fight back!

The tide of battle changed. It was clear that Elgyem was more experience than Mirage was. Whenever Mirage neared with a Pursuit, the Elgyem would Teleport out of the way. Mirage was slowly beginning to fatigue, and Arthur was fatiguing as well - the injuries were taking their toll on him.

Arthur shook his head. They were at a stalemate, one he was losing. He had to think of something, fast.

Spring was out of commission so he couldn't help. Mirage's Pursuits weren't working very well. They still had Illusions, but Arthur had no idea how to use them in battle. His slight grasp on psychic powers had already left him, leaving him as normal as he was before.

"Ugh..." Arthur heard a groan behind him and saw Connor slowly rising. His heart rose - aid!

"Connor, battle with a grunt, now!"

The unnamed member of Team Regal grit his teeth for a second, and Arthur felt somewhat hopeful.

Then Mirage fell in battle, and the member of Team Regal smirked.

"Elgyem, squeeze that brat." He pointed toward Connor, and Arthur felt his heart stop.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was running forward. With a yell, he punched the Elgyem in its fleshy brain.

Of course, he did next to no damage. He wasn't a Pokemon, nor did he have anything resembling a pokemon's power. The Elgyem sent him flying away with a Confusion, and he landed in a heap by the wall.

But that didn't matter. Connor came to his senses and released Merry. With a large 'Baa', Merry appeared in the dingy bathroom.

The unnamed member of Team Regal began to chuckle. "Seriously, kid, what are you thinking? That Mareep looks like it's never battle in its life!"

Connor only smirked. "Thunder Wave."

Merry let out a wave of electricity that traveled across the room. The Elgyem teleported out of the way, but the wave arced back and slammed into the Elgyem.

The member of Team Regal raised his eyebrows. "Lucky. Shrug it off, Elgyem. Use Psybeam, knock it out!"

Elgyem started to charge for an extra strong Psybeam. Arthur pulled himself up, feeling beyond tired. Connor made no shouts to dodge, though. Instead, he pulled out a leaf.

Arthur wanted to scream - what was Connor thinking? The unnamed member of Team Regal laughed hysterically.

Then Connor put his lips to the leaf and started to play.

A haunting yet beautiful melody flowed from the leaf. Arthur's body wanted to melt into the ground. He desperately wished to close his eyes, to rest.

The Elgyem stopped charging the Psybeam, and the energy dissipated. It fell to the ground and began to tilt its head to the melody.

The unnamed member of Team Regal's eyes widened. "What are you..." He then focused on the leaf. "That song - it's hypnotic to Pokemon, isn't it?" He began to run forward, his arms cocked for a punch.

Of course, Arthur wasn't going to let him. "Spring, Thunder Wave!"

Spring, who had been wakened by the song, fired a wave at electricity at the unnamed member of Team Regal. Right as the unnamed member neared Connor, the wave hit, sending him to the ground.

The member of Team Regal twitched on the ground. Connor stopped the song, and the Elgyem continued to smile and relax in the bathroom.

Arthur and Connor sagged. "We... we did it." There were no sounds coming from the lobby - all the other members must have escaped already.

Arthur and Connor just laid on the floor. Soon enough, the police came in. Shortly after arresting the paralyzed unnamed member, Arthur and Connor were taken to the hospital.

* * *

Arthur's head felt like someone used his head as a cotton-candy pinata. His head was feeling fragile - there's no other word to describe the feeling. Across his face was a web of cracks - if he so much as licked his lips, his face would shatter into a million pieces.

Eventually, though, his eyelids began to feel irritated. With the care of holding a baby, he gently winded his eyes open.

Arthur found himself in a boring white room - white bedsheets, white walls, white dresser. If he didn't know any better, he'd have said that he'd gone to heaven.

There were no nurses around, and Arthur was scared of moving. So he was left in the bed alone, allowed to stew in his thoughts.

The last thing he remembered was coming to Petalburg, meeting that Connor guy, and...

Oh, right.

Arthur wiggled around a little bit on the bed. Pain flared up his in his chest, legs, and head - where the members of Team Regal had attacked him.

What a living nightmare.

Teams were... teams were frightening. They didn't show any mercy, nor compassion or care. They didn't even go for fear tactics - they went straight for torture, even if it was completely unnecessary.

Arthur shivered as he thought about those goons, and his pain flared up slightly again. The gas... the pain... the fear... it all coalesced.

And what about all the pokemon they stole? Arthur remembered the police coming in at the last minute, right when he and Connor had stopped that Regal goon. But there were plenty of other trainers in the Pokecenter as it was, and their pokemon was most likely taken.

Thankfully, his and Connor's weren't stolen. But how close did Team Regal come? He and Connor had nearly died several times - heck, he still didn't know if Connor was still alive, to be honest.

Luckily, a nurse came in to check up on him.

"Oh! Mr. Bell, you're awake!" She walked to his bedside. "Can you sit up?"

With the nurse's aid, he slowly brought himself into a sitting position.

"Ugh... it hurts so much..." he whined.

The nurse consoled him. "It's alright - you were very strong managing to pull through like that."

That comment managed to bring a smile to his lips. "Thank... thank you." The nurse offered him some water, and he took many greedy gulps of it.

Suddenly, there was a crash, and the door to his room was slammed open. The nurse shrieked and held out a trembling Pokeball to ward against...

An irate Helen marched toward his bedpan and slammed her palms on the dresser. Arthur felt a cascade of fear and guilt - the former, perfectly rational. The second... eh, probably her power.

"Arthur! Who said you could put your life on the line when I was gone?!" She demanded.

"... destiny?"

"Well, when 'destiny' tells you to fight bad guys when I'm not there, tell 'destiny' to wait for me! Those Team Regal goons sound awful!"

His mouth slowly began to work again. "C-Connor is awake, then?"

Helen huffed. "You mean the other kid, the one with the Mareep? Yeah, he's awake. He managed to wake only a few hours after you two were brought into the hospital."

The nurse, finally gathering enough courage to talk, chipped in. "Y-yes. You two were admitted yesterday. He woke yesterday, and informed the police of Team Regal." The nurse sniffed. "Anyway, there are a few more tests I have to run. You've healed up quite well - you're quite sturdy, young man. A few more doses of Comfey extract, and you'll be fit enough to be dismissed from the hospital."

My mouth fell open. "C-Comfey extract?" Helen's mouth opened wide as well. Comfey was a very rare, very valuable medicine. With a few doses of the extract, even the most dangerous of wounds would close in no time.

The nurse nodded. "The League determined that since you two had been such an aid in the identification of the new team, you deserved special treatment at the hospital. Be thankful - it would have cost ten of thousands of Poke.

I slowly nodded my head, thanking my lucky stars.

"In addition to that, they needed you two in testifying condition soon. A League detective and an agent from Interpol will be coming by to speak to you shortly. They have a few holes in their investigation that they'd like you to patch up. In the meantime," she pushed the glass of water forward again. "Drink up."

* * *

After Helen and the nurse left, a detective came by.

"Your name, please?"

"A-Arthur."

"Why were you at the scene of the incident?"

"Helen and I went to get our pokemon healed up."

"What occurred during the incident?"

"After Connor and I pranked each other, we were resting up in the bathroom. Then a strange greenish gas appeared in the bathroom, and it made us feel a little sleepy. We crouched down so the gas wouldn't reach us. We then spotted members of Team Regal stealing pokemon." Arthur felt sick to his stomach.

The detective nodded. "Go on."

"We tried to call the police, then."

The detective nodded. "That was very brave of you." he commended.

I shook my head. "There was a jammer - it intercepted the signal and alerted them to our presence."

"Ah... so then what happened?"

"We felt like we were out of options, so we planned to charge into the lobby and fight off as many of them as we could." Now that Arthur thought about it, the smartest move would have just been to run and hide. They were clearly outmaneuvered in every possible way.

"Go on."

"Before we could charge, though, we were found out by a member of Team Regal. He - I think his name was Brandon - had found us out. We tried to fight Brandon, but he put Connor and Spring, my Magnemite, to sleep."

The detective looked up. "So, how did you save them?"

"Brandon bragged a little bit and showed off the jammer, which was in his pocket. I woke Spring up and he destroyed the jammer."

The detective smiled. "Nice job. But how did you manage to contact us?"

"Well, after the jammer was destroyed, Brandon started to attack me. It really... it hurt a lot." Arthur's injuries throbbed.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. Would you like to continue, or would you like to stop?"

"I'll... I'll continue. I... it happened because of luck."

The detective raised an eyebrow. "What happened because of luck?"

"The way I managed to call the police. My Pokedex is broken, so we had to use Connor's Xtransceiver. But it was all the way across the bathroom."

"So what happened?" The detective was intrigued. "How did you call the police?"

"I used my psychic powers."

The detective's mouth opened slightly. "P-psychic powers?"

Arthur summoned his psychic powers. Before the detective's eyes, he made the glass of water at his bedside shake with telekinesis.

The detective stared at him in shock. "I... I can't help but be surprised. It isn't recorded anywhere that you had psychic powers."

"I didn't know it either - I only discovered them in the incident." The detective slowly nodded and jotted down a large number of notes.

"So, what happened next? I'm guessing you pressed the buttons with your psychic powers?"

Arthur nodded. "After that, Brandon broke the Xtransceiver. Some other guy came into the bathroom and notified the rest of Team Regal."

The detective nodded. "Unfortunately, they had all escaped by the time we arrived on scene."

Arthur didn't know how to feel about that. Somewhere, in his heart, he knew that all those trainer's pokemon were gone. Before, he would have chalked it up as a deplorable tragedy.

Now... now that he had owned his own pokemon... he found Team Regal unforgivable.

"The member of Team Regal crushed Brandon's head with an Elgyem, and then tried to do the same with us."

"But he couldn't?"

"I sent out Mirage, my Zorua. She battled the Elgyem for a little bit, but it eventually beat her."

The detective nodded. "So, how did you fight him off?"

"Connor eventually came to his senses and released his Mareep, Merry."

"So Connor fought them off?" The detective pressed.

Arthur shook his head. "Er... no. Instead, Connor pulled out a... leaf? He then started playing music on it. It calmed the Elgyem down... I think... and we used Thunder wave on the other member of Team Regal to stop him. After that... I fell unconscious."

The detective slowly nodded. "I... see." He stepped up. "Thank you, Arthur. You've been a great help with your testimony." He started walking to the door. "Detective Looker will be seeing you know. Just repeat what you've said to him, and I think you'll do fine." He sighed. "We offered to share our testimony, but he'd like his to talk to you himself, apparently."

Arthur didn't really care anyway. His body felt inundated with pain. He'd repeat what he said to 'Looker' and then he'd fall asleep. If he was still going to be treated with Comfey extract, it would be enough to fully heal him.

The detective left, and Arthur was left to his thoughts...

... for a few seconds.

"Hello."

Arthur froze. "Hello?"

Then the potted plant that was next to his bedside began to move, and Arthur was paralyzed with a modicum of fear.

The plant shifted and turned into a disguised man, which slowly revealed himself to be an unassuming man in a brown trenchcoat.

The man stuck a hand out to Arthur. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Looker."

Arthur tentatively stuck his own hand out. "Pleased to meet you too. I'm-"

"Arthur Bell, correct? Native town, Oldale, registered Pokemon, 1 Magnemite and 1 Zorua, correct?" Looker pulled out a detailed file.

Arthur was slightly stunned. "Y...yes. How do you know all that stuf-"

"I'm a member of the International Police - the organization ones such as yourself call Interpol." Looker's voice cut right through Arthur's attempts at his own questions.

"If you are wondering why I am here, the Interpol deal with threats that can spill out into other regions. Teams have shown that they are multiregional threats, so they sent one of their premier agents, one such as myself, to investigate."

"I... okay?" Arthur didn't really know what to think. How long had this Looker man ben hiding out as his shrubbery?

Looker sat down on a wicker chair and leaned forward. "Young Arthur, I have overheard the conversation you had with Detective Spots."

Arthur slowly nodded. "You.. do you want me to repeat it?"

Looker shook his head. "No one needs to hear the same thing twice, not when they understand the first time completely. No, I want to know a little bit more."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Er... what do you want to know?"

"About what you know so far about Team Regal? For instance, do you have any idea why they're called that?"

Arthur shook his head. "I don't have the faintest idea. All I know is that they attacked us."

Looker slowly nodded. "I see." He stood up. "Not an easy manner to solve, then." He began to pace. "Let's see, what do we know about them so far? They have a modicum number on their side, as well as non-Pokemon weaponry." He slammed his hand into his fist. "They must have some source of aid like other teams have had in the past."

Arthur hadn't really considered that viewpoint, but it's very existence lent itself to a pit in his stomach. "Aid?"

Looker snapped out of his reverie. "Yes, aid. An organization like Team Regal needs something to power itself, otherwise, it will crack under its own weight. Unfortunately, the grunt we captured has fallen into a coma, so we can't do any form of interrogation."

A coma? What did he and Connor do to the grunt?

Looker continued his pacing. "So, what else do we know about them? We know that they have access to at least two kinds of Pokemon - Munna, and Elgyem. Both Psychic types." Looker began to muse as he paced. "I wonder if that's connected to a legendary?"

"Legendary?" Arthur had to ask.

Looker seemed to remember that Arthur was in the room. He looked thoughtful for a second as if considering something, before shortly replying to Arthur's one-word question with a question of his own. "Arthur, can you keep a secret?"

Arthur sighed. This was the second secret, most likely large considering its source, that he had to keep in a week. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. "Yeah, I can keep a secret."

"I've worked to capture and destabilize teams in the past. There are three things I know about them for sure." Looker raised a finger.

"One - they will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Terrorism, hijacking, theft... some have even resorted to murder. They are unshackled by law and morality, and are all the more dangerous for it."

"Two - the majority of their strength comes from a central Boss. Those that form Teams, their founders... they are frightening individuals. Their grunts and subordinates draw strength from them, their will. Teams become much easier to deal with when the Boss is toppled."

Arthur could only imagine what a Team Boss is like. To hold that much power in the palm of their hand.

"Third, and finally - their ambitions do not rest at our level. They extend to the gods themselves - the legendaries."

Arthur's voice cracked. "Wh... what do you mean?"

"Teams Magma and Aqua sought to use to wield the power of the weather titans Groudon and Kyogre, to shape the land to their desire. Team Galactic attempted to use the creation trio to create an entire universe. Team Plasma sought to take over Unova with the trio of spiritual dragons. Team Flare tried to end all life with the life trio. Team Skull and the Aether Foundation wished to wield the power of the celestial trio."

Looker tilted his fedora downward. "And Team Rocket? They birthed their own legendary, to take over all."

The room was silent.

"Those seven teams are the only ones on record. There have been various attempts at forming Teams before, but they were destroyed early on, in their infancy. If Team Regal is able to rob a Pokecenter... you understand, don't you?"

Arthur was feeling faint. "Wh-wh..."

Looker continued to speak in a low tone. "In the end, Arthur, the legendary is what's important. To Teams, all activities supplement the legendary. If we know what legendary they're after, we can counter them."

Arthur began to think that he understood.

"If they use Psychic pokemon exclusively, then chances are the legendary is psychic as well." Looker rubbed his chin. "That doesn't narrow it down too much, but it's better than nothing."

Looker stood up. "It's been a treat talking to you, Arthur, but I need to go file a report. Just know one thing, Arthur - what you did today… it wasn't smart, and it wasn't heroic. But it was what I would do… and look at where I am."

Looker adjusted his coat, took one last good look at Arthur, and left.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" His mother sobbed on the other side of the screen. "I never thought something like this would ever happen!"

Mirage, who climbed on the keyboard, glanced blankly at his mother. Spring rested on Arthur's hands as he listened to his mother's unending apologies.

His mother finally wiped her nose. "Arthur… I'll let you come back… please…"

What Arthur had wanted for the last week was being handed to him on a silver platter. He could finally return to his old life of just building cool, if mostly useless, machines.

One word. That's all it would take for him to return to days of pleasure and carelessness…

… oh, who was he kidding?

"Mom… I'm already in too deep."

"Wh… what? But I thought you didn't want to go on a journey?!" Her voice blasted through the screen.

"That's right, mom," he admitted. "I didn't want to go on a journey. I still don't. But… I can't stop now." He couldn't return to that old life. Not with any measure of peace, anyway.

Mirage yipped as he picked her up, and she wrestled with Spring for a second in his grasp as he prepared the end the call. "Mom… I'll call you back."

His mother said nothing but glared at Arthur with a unique contempt. Then she sighed and turned away from the monitor. "Arthur… fine. You're your own problem now." She took one look back. "The door is always open."

Arthur ended the call.

As he let down Spring and Mirage, a few shivers wracked his body. This… this isn't what he wanted.

"Hey! Arthur, hurry up! Connor's waiting for us at the gate!" Helen bellowed at the door of the Pokecenter, tapping her foot in impatience. "Are you done being all sappy-sappy to your mom yet?!"

"C… coming!" He returned Spring and Mirage, as they were watching with a detached curiosity.

He sighed one last time as a wry smile etched itself on his face. This wasn't what he wanted, not really. He didn't really have much of a choice, though. Not a real one.

He closed the door.

* * *

 **If there are any of you who had been eagerly waiting for an upload, sorry this took so long. A few months ago, I had given up on this story, as it didn't really fill me with excitement anymore. This past week, though, I've come to try again, and have partially reignited my passion. Don't expect another upload any time soon, though, as I'm entering the final month on college. I'll work, but my other fic will take precedence.**

 **Thank you for your patience.**

 **Sincerely, Metagrossite**


	6. Petalburg Woods

It was a bit, strange, Arthur had to reflect as he caught a Slakoth in Petalburg Woods. It was surprisingly easy to capture wild pokemon once you got the hang of it. Pokemon were relatively intelligent as a whole - Mirage showed that in spades, the first time he had met her.

However, they were strangely easy to outsmart - or maybe that was just for Petalburg Woods's pokemon. A quick search on the Pokedex led to him constructing simple snares and traps for his hunting, and the pokemon he encountered fell into them rather easily.

After that, all he had to do was have Mirage or Spring attack with a barrage of moves, and they'd be ripe for the Multiballs (the name Arthur gave to the pokeballs Alex gave to him).

It was easy… and boring. Soon enough, he had captured a fair dozen Slakoth and Shroomish, with some fair Wurmples and Cascoon between them.

He was currently trying to find where Silcoon resided - because where Silcoon resided, Beautifly did too.

Spring floated around near his shoulder, checking the area with disdain. A few nights ago, Arthur had the idea of Spring using his Supersonic as a form of sonar or radar. With a few attempts, a discovery, and a bit of practicing, Arthur had Spring practicing the new move Sonar.

Of course, there were drawbacks. Spring's hearing was shot when he used Sonar - the constant use of Supersonic blotted out all other sounds. While Arthur might be able to weaponize that as well, it led more often to Spring being unable to understand what Arthur was saying when he was using it.

Spring shook his head, and Arthur sighed.

"How hard can it be to find some Beautifly?" He muttered to himself, stretching a little bit. "Mirage, have you picked anything up?"

Mirage had been sniffing around, rooting for the scent of fellow pokemon. She shook her head in dismay.

"Oh, well." Arthur was feeling a little down.

"Hey!" A shout echoed from behind him. Arthur turned around to see a teenager tossing a Pokeball up and down. "Do you want to have a battle?"

"... sure?" He might as well take a break - although Mirage and Spring didn't particularly eager to battle at the moment. "Can you wait just a minute or two, though? My Pokemon need to rest for a bit."

He pulled out a sandwich he had bought from a convenience store in Petalburg and fed pieces of it to Mirage, who eagerly snapped it up. Half-way through the sandwich, he stopped feeding her and put it away.

"If we manage to win, I'll fish up some Magikarp for you as well." Mirage's eyes lightened up.

He also fed an ingot to Spring. "Let's do our best, as always." Spring buzzed and whirred the way he usually did. Arthur took that as a yes.

The teenager who he had been facing looked at him with a peculiar look on his face. "You bribe your pokemon?"

Arthur shrugged. "We aren't really battlers," he admitted. "I'm a Supplier - as far as I can tell, we only battle when we have to."

The teenager grinned. "Oh, so you're a rookie Supplier." He began twirling a Pokeball on his finger. "I don't think you'll be much trouble."

Even if Arthur didn't particularly like battling, he felt incensed to beat this guy - of only to wipe that irritating smugness off that collection of sensory organs he called a 'face'."

"Mirage, you're up!" Arthur leaped back and Mirage bounded forward to land in a ready position.

"Alright, finally!" The teenager grinned. "It's about time! Show me what you can do, Steenee!"

A Steenee - a pokemon from the Alola region, probably - appeared in a flash of light, jumping up and down in its place and practicing its kicks.

There was a tense pause of a few seconds, before Arthur and the teenager smiled.

"Start!"

"Mirage, Pursuit! Don't let her escape!" Mirage flew forward with great speed, slashing with dark black energy at the Steenee, who leaped aside easily.

"Pfft! Do you really think you can catch me like that?!" The teenager laughed. "Steenee, kick it in the side, and follow up with some Razor Leaves!"

"Dodge!" Arthur frantically screamed. Mirage heard the command and immediately ducked, barely falling under the Steenee's kick. She wasn't as lucky to avoid the Razor Leaves falling out of the Steenee's body, though, and was cut badly.

"Retreat!" Mirage jumped backward, narrowly dodging another kick. The Steenee soon ran up for even more attacks, not giving Mirage any respite.

He had to fix this situation, fast. "Mirage, use an illusion!"

Unfortunately, that's where things got a little sticky. As soon as Mirage stopped to charge energy for an illusion, the Steenee went for another attack, sending Mirage backward. Mirage attempted another illusion but was attacked once more.

"Scratch, Pursuit, something!" Arthur called out, hoping Mirage would be able to connect at least one of them. The Steenee, though, didn't let up and attacked Mirage time and time again.

The teenager gave a condescending smirk. "Have you _ever_ battled before now? Because it doesn't look like it." He pointed to Mirage. "I mean, your Pokemon is crying! _Crying_!" Sure enough, Mirage had fallen to tears at Steenee's kicks. Steenee was looking very, very uncomfortable at what it had done - it was a very, _very_ , affable and amiable species.

Mirage looked at Arthur with a begging look on its face, fat tears falling down.

"You know…" The smirk fell off the teenager's face, to be replaced with genuine concern. "You shouldn't push you Zorua any farther than this. Recall her and send out the Magnemite, okay?"

Arthur nodded - this had gone on for far too long. Arthur would have to be an awful trainer to let her continue. Time to recall her and heal her up.

Arthur lifted the Pokeball, ready to recall his vulpine friend. But then, for some reason, the side of his arm flashed cold. He spared a second to look at it.

 _ **DON'T**_

The message was written in shimmering silver letters as if it was written on a watercolor painting.

"... well? Recall her already." The teenager tapped his foot. "Please - I can hardly stand the sight of her anymore." Even as the teenager spoke, the message grew longer.

 _ **DON'T RECALL**_

Then Arthur understood.

"Why don't you recall your pokemon, huh?!" Arthur challenged, feeling like an incredible scumbag. The Steenee and teenager looked incredibly confused at what Arthur had said. Mirage continued dropping her fat, silver tears.

But… they were _fake_ tears.

Mirage leaped from where she was crying and was attacking the Steenee with wild slashes, Scratches, and Pursuits. The teenager took only a second to figure out what Mirage had been doing and cursed.

"Fake Tears! How could I forget?! Steenee, run back, get your head back in the game!"

But it was too late at this point. The Steenee's attacks were slow and measured as it didn't want to hurt Mirage any more than it already had. Soon enough, it had fallen to one final Pursuit and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The teenager cursed again. "You…. cheater!" He howled. Mirage and Arthur only shrugged - it was much easier on him now that Mirage was looking mostly fi… she collapsed.

Arthur recalled her as the teenager grew silent. "You… that wasn't on purpose, was it?"

"Partially," Arthur lied. "I knew that she could use Fake Tears, but it took me a while to figure out that she was using them."

The teenager harrumphed. "So your Pokemon fooled you too, then?"

Arthur didn't say anything, trying to think of a rebuttal. Unfortunately, the teenager took that as affirmation.

"It's her victory then, not yours. I'm not considering that your win."

Arthur grew angry. "The rules say that-"

"The rules also say that you're supposed to recall a pokemon when it's heavily injured, idiot!" The teenager shouted back at me. "And you didn't recall her before you realized she was using Fake Tears!"

Arthur recalled Mirage. "Alright, then, fine!" Arthur shouted back. "Let's use our other Pokemon!"

The teenager pulled out another Pokeball. "Fine then. I've been with Isabella for a lot longer than I have been with Steenee. She's going to wreck you!"

The teenager released a Swablu, to which Arthur released Spring.

"Oh, so you have Type Advantage?" The teenager grinned. "Let me show you why that's not going to help you. Isabella, use Mist!"

Isabella covered the field with a white place of opaque silver mist. Arthur coughed a little bit as some of the semi-noxious smelling mist entered his throat.

"Is this… safe?!"

"Yeah, if you're talking about your personal health." The teenager held his hand forward. "Anyway, Isabella! Sing!"

Isabella began to warble a hypnotic tune. Arthur covered his ears as he shouted to Spring. "Spring, use Sonar!"

Sonar began to emit pulses of sound, disrupting the rhythm Isabella was singing. Spring wasn't threatened by sleeping anymore.

"Spring, use Thundershock!"

Spring didn't respond.

"Spring!"

The teenager grinned. "That's an _actual_ strategy, kid! Your Magnemite can't hear you anymore, just like he can't hear Isabella!"

The teenager then smiled. "Isabella, retreat into the mist! Use Astonish and wear that Magnemite down!"

Arthur gritted his teeth as Isabella retreated into the mist. Soon enough, Spring was being randomly attacked by Astonish attacks.

Arthur was being left powerless… _again_. He couldn't keep relying on his pokemon to outsmart his opponents, either.

He needed to figure out a way to both communicate with Spring and locate Isabella.

First things first, how to talk to Spring…

The battle dragged on as Arthur pondered a way to help Spring. SPring took attack after attack. The Astonishes weren't strong attacks, not by themselves. Eventually, though, they would take a toll on Spring, and that was beginning to show.

"Is that all you have, kid?" The teenager asked, snorting. "You've never had an actual battle, have you?"

Arthur gritted his teeth and started muttering to himself. "How do I talk to Spring? The Sonar is intercepting the air vibrations, so…" There was no way around it. You needed the air to talk - there was no other way for him to relay the information.

… sight? No, the mist was blocking everything from sight. Ground vibrations? Not to a levitating pokemon.

Every form of communication was blocked to him now.

Arthur stared at Spring's form in the mist.

 _Why can't you understand that the Sonar isn't needed anymore!_ He thought with no small amount of ire.

Then the Sonar's stopped, and Arthur feared the worst for his pokemon and the battle.

The teenager breathed a sigh of relief. "That pinging was getting annoying. Isabella, back to Sing!" The Swablu started using Sing again, which irritated Arthur to no end.

Arthur could see Spring's form waver in the mist - but it was still upright and moving. "Spring, back to Sonar!"

The pings started again. The teenager laughed. "Round and round she goes, when it'll stop, nobody knows!"

Arthur ignored the teenager's taunting and focused on the match. 'Why did Spring stop?' Arthur was forced to ask himself. 'Spring found no reason to stop, so why did he?'

Unless…

Arthur had summoned his psychic powers. Other than a small period of being unable to access them right after the first time he had activated them, he was able to move things around with his mind.

It wasn't powerful enough to be really useful - there weren't many things he could do with it yet.

But… if he remembered correctly… telepaths could broadcast their thoughts.

 _Spring, stop using Sonar. Then, use Thundershock to your left!_ Arthur prayed to Arceus almighty that his ploy would work.

And boy, did Arceus deliver. Not only did Spring stop using Sonar, but the Thundershock also struck Isabella dead center, sending her backward.

"Ugh, again? Isabella, his Magnemite us wising up to our tricks!"

Arthur was finally making headway! Now all he had to do was find Isabella and confuse her long enough for Spring to finish off the job!

"Stop using Sing and use Safeguard!"

And there went the chance of a Supersonic being able to confuse Isabella. Every inch of progress Arthur made in this battle, the teenager wrestled back violently.

Safeguard prevented him from confusing Isabella - and while there was still a chance that they could electrocute Isabella again, it wasn't likely.

There wasn't any point in using Sonar, either. The mist was too dense for accurate echolocation - too much white noise drowning out Isabella's location. Sonar was developed for the air, not for a combination of air and whatever made up Mist.

Well, they could cut off some of the access Isabella had to Spring at the very least.

 _Spring! Head to the edge of the arena, but don't go out!_

Spring obeyed, heading to the edge of the arena they had constructed. They were cornered - but that didn't actually mean too much since they weren't planning on dodging an enemy they couldn't sense.

Then Isabella hit Spring from behind.

"There's no out-of-bounds, you know," The teenager snickered. "We stopped playing by league rules the last match. Now it's to unconsciousness or withdrawal."

"You can't just-"

"League rules state that if a Pokemon is unable to fight, the trainer is obligated to return it," the teenager rattled off. "You thought that your Zorua couldn't fight, but didn't recall it. You completely disregarded the league rules last match, so I'm doing it this time around. Go ahead - claim you have the 'high ground'. See what good it does you." The teenager shook his head. "You're such a hypocrite!"

Arthur gritted his teeth. "Fine! I'll beat you and your Swablu regardless!"

Arthur had to think, think, _think_! What could he do to find Isabella in the mist! Sonar wouldn't work, so what else did he have? All he had was Supersonic, Tackle, Thundershock, and Thunder Wave.

Suddenly, he had a strange flash of intuition.

 _Spring, use Thunder Wave!_

As the electricity arced across the battlefield, the teenager laughed.

"Sorry, but Safeguard stops that pretty nicely!" The Thunder Wave found its way to Isabella and impacted her Safeguard barrier, stopping dead in its tracks. "See! You're such an idiot!" The teenager chuckled as Isabella tittered joyfully.

But Arthur didn't care - he now knew where Isabella was.

 _Spring, you sensed where the Thunder Wave stopped! Thundershock there!_

The Thundershock arced through the air as well, much more precisely than the Thunder Wave, and electrocuted Isabella directly, causing a painful warble.

The teenager stepped backward in shock. "How did you-"

 _Spring, finish it!_

Spring Tackled Isabella to the ground, causing her to cry out in pain. Then he unloaded Thundershock after Thundershock into her system - you could almost see her skeleton lighten up from the amount of damage.

Soon enough, the teenager recalled Isabella with a grimace. "Damn it… you've won this round."

Arthur recalled Spring. "It was a two-on-two, right?"

"... fine… you've won the match." The teenager walked over to Arthur, forking over his money. "Let me guess, your Pokemon figured out how to trick us again, hadn't they."

Arthur smiled.

 _Not this time._

The teenager clutched his head. "Agh! Your voice is like an Exploud!" He cried.

Arthur felt a stab of worry clutch his chest. "I'm sorry-"

Then he heard the teenager laughing. "Hah! Got you!"

Arthur's sympathy dried away like a puddle in a Drought. He huffed and crossed his arms. "I guess I deserved that, huh?"

The teenager seemed much happier now that he had some victory over me. "Yeah, you did. Nice strategy at the end there, by the way." The teenager clapped Arthur on the shoulders. "Isabella and I have been training for a year now - though we haven't got any badges. We were returning to Petalburg, as our year is ending in a week or so. I wanted a victory to commemorate our adventure ending, so I challenged anyone around. You probably have more experience than you look, if you're a Supplier. How long ago did you get your pokemon? One year? Two?"

"A week."

The teenager froze. "... well, if that isn't a blow to my ego then I don't know what is. Still, that wasn't a bad showing at all. Do you want to exchange numbers? I can give you some tips for your journey to make it go smoother. I don't have any Gym Badges, though - if you want to go for those, don't ask me for training help."

Arthur nodded, and they exchanged numbers. Soon enough, the teenager was leaving.

"Good luck - oh, and tell Mirage that she had a pretty nice trick there. If I ever see it again, I'll make sure Steenee kicks her butt three times as hard!"

Arthur gulped. "Uh… sure. By the way, what's your name!"

"George Franklin!"

"See you later, George!"

And with that, George left.

* * *

It didn't take too long for Arthur to find a river. There were plenty of them in Petalburg Woods. Arthur, after about ten minutes of searching, sat by the river bed. Magikarp swilled about in the water, not really comprehending Arthur's presence.

"Alright, Spring, it's time we learn how to catch a fish."

Spring looked at him with confusion.

"You know… for Mirage? The promise I made to her?" Spring nodded. "She pulled off her end perfectly, so she deserves her reward."

Arthur gestured to the river. "She wants to eat fish, so we'll give her fish." Spring nodded, fully understanding.

"First things first - we need to learn _how_ to catch a fish, without a pole." Generally, you were supposed to fish for Pokemon using a fishing pole - that was the accepted way of fishing. "Mom didn't pack a pole for me and I forgot to buy one in the previous cities we've been to."

There were other ways, though. Fishing poles are newer than fishing itself - there were probably methods of fishing without its use.

Arthur took a quick look online to figure out methods of fishing without a pole. They were sparse but there. Some suggested using line without the pole. Arthur didn't even have any line, just as he didn't have a pole. Others suggested the use of a transparent fish trap, but Magikarps were too big for any undetectable trap that he could build. Arthur didn't have any material for a workable net, either.

"Spring… do you have any ideas on how we should catch these Magikarp?"

Spring looked at him oddly for a second, then whirred. Spring fired a Thunder Wave at the water, which electrocuted several Magikarp. They floated up to the surface of the river, dead.

Their waft was repugnant to Arthur. "Urgh…" Their purpose was filled, though. Arthur reached into the river and grabbed the smoking Magikarp, almost dropping them due to their heat. "Well, at least we have a way of catching fish from now on."

Arthur made a small fire with some kindling and Spring's electricity. As the flame burned, Arthur worked on preparing the Magikarp, using a guide George messaged him on request.

Soon, Arthur was cooking the Magikarp over the fire, attracting some wild Pokemon. Spring either scared them away or weakened them enough for Arthur to catch with the Multiballs.

Arthur released Mirage once he decided that the Magikarp had cooked for long enough. Mirage appeared in a flash of light, having finally recovered from her unconsciousness in the Pokeball. She took a big sniff in the air and started jumping up and down in joy.

Arthur decided that he had kept her waiting for long enough and passed her the whole Magikarp, which she immediately starting tearing at and chewing.

As Mirage ate, Arthur cooked another Magikarp. Soon enough, it was done - and it smelled much better than the previous one, as well. It attracted even more wild Pokemon, which he had Spring repel.

Soon enough, both he and Mirage were done, and he started cutting up the Magikarp so that he could have some for himself.

But as he was about to start eating the Magikarp, he felt a paw on his arm. He turned to see Mirage, teary-eyed and begging.

"No, Mirage, you've had your Magikarp. I'm not going to fall for your…" The Fake Tears grew more piteous as Mirage started whining. Arthur sighed. "Ugh, I give up. Fine, you can have this one as well."

As Mirage eagerly started working on her second Magikarp, Arthur began to chew on a sandwich, part of which he had fed to Mirage earlier that day. It tasted strangely bland, though - blander than it usually tasted.

As he fed Spring more ingots - which were quickly devoured - he looked at Mirage, who looked as happy as can be. Her shuffling around on the ground revealed bruises beneath her fur, which filled Arthur with revulsion.

"Mirage… I… I should have recalled you earlier." Arthur admitted. Mirage paused in her eating, cocking her head.

A cold feeling entered Arthur's arm, and he looked down at it in curiosity. Silver words started appearing on his arm again.

 _ **MY PLAN**_

Arthur shook his head. "No, it's just that… well, I didn't know your plan, Mirage. All I knew was that my arm was telling me not to recall. That was you, right?" Mirage nodded.

Arthur continued. "I… even if everything turned out alright… I still should have recalled you. I didn't know if that message was from you, I wasn't sure that you were going to be safe, I-"

More words appeared on his arm

 _ **NOW OVER. NO WORRY**_

A strange mixture of guilt and relief entered his stomach. "Al… alright, then. I'm still sorry, though."

 _ **IF SORRY, MORE FOOD**_

Arthur let out a chuckle in spite of himself. "You know, if you eat too much you'll get too fat."

 _ **FOOD NOW, WORRY LATER**_

"Sure, sure…" Arthur continued chuckling as he started on another Magikarp. "You know, I _really_ have to teach you grammar. It's a little hard figuring out what you're saying, even if your control is good."

Mirage ignored him and continued staring at the cooking Magikarp, her mouth salivating.

Soon enough, the Magikarp had finished cooking, and Mirage set herself on the new Magikarp - much more slowly than before, though. A small bulge was growing around Mirage's belly as she ate, but she continued in spite of herself.

Arthur looked at Spring. _She really can't stop eating them, huh?_ Spring nodded.

Arthur couldn't believe he developed Telepathy- no… it wasn't Telepathy. With true Telepathy, you could not only broadcast your own thoughts but hear the thoughts of others. All he had done is send his thoughts to Spring, not the other way around.

Let's see if he could change that.

 _Spring, when you hear this, I want you to send a mental message back at me._ A form of comprehension dawned on Spring's eye - perhaps he hadn't realized Arthur was talking to him through the mind yet.

Arthur concentrated hard on Spring, trying to divine and sense what he was thinking. Then, in some corner of his mind, a tinny, robotic voice spoke.

' _Answer: Mental Message'_

…

 _Was that all?_ Arthur had to ask. _Just… Send: Mental Message?_

Spring shrugged. ' _Submitted Query: Was that all, Just Send: Mental Message?'_ There was a moment of silence. Finally, Spring nodded. ' _Answer: Yes'_

…

"You both need to learn some grammar," Arthur finally replied. "No wonder all the grown-ups were so insistent I learn the stupid stuff - you can't talk without it."

' _Rebuttal: Sent message understood._ '

It took a while for Arthur to understand. "I mean, I _guess_ I got what you said, but it takes too long for me to decipher it.'

Spring looked concerned. ' _Query: Reason is run time error?_ '

Arthur snickered. "No, it's not a run time error. It's just way too inefficient." Spring looked confused but withheld any further comments.

Mirage looked over at the two of them in a general sort of confusion. Arthur felt another message form on his arm

 _ **UNDERSTAND US?**_

"I can talk to Spring telepathically, Mirage," Arthur answered. "Let me see if I can do it with you as well."

 _Send me a message on me for me to know that you understood me!_

Another message appeared on his arm.

 _ **HEARD YOU. CAN'T TALK BACK TO YOU**_

It sounded like the broadcasting was one-way for him and Mirage, unlike with him and Spring. Maybe it was her Dark-type that was preventing her from sending messages?

These psychic abilities… they were things Arthur would have to conduct research on if he wanted to use them correctly. He had been mostly winging it so far - he came across Telekinesis and Telepathy purely by accident, and each one was still relatively weak if the rumors of what psychics could do were true.

Still… now wasn't the time. For the time being, he had done a lot of work and experimentation. Now was the time for rest...

"Arthur!" Helen called to him.

… if only he hadn't forgotten entirely about his traveling companions.

Arthur turned to Connor and Helen sheepishly. "Um… sorry."

Helen rolled her eyes. "You forgot that we were supposed to meet at the ranger outpost two hours ago, right? You haven't been answering your line."

Arthur took a glance at his Pokedex, which doubled as a phone. Sure enough, he had twenty missed calls or so.

"It was a mistake," Arthur admitted. "I was too busy cooking for Mirage - I forgot to check the Pokedex."

Helen smiled. "Well, that's great." She brightened a little bit. "Do you have any left? Boom, Ginny, and I haven't had any food today - we've been busy battling the wild Pokemon!"

Connor rolled his eyes. "Is that the reason why they were so spooked? From where I was standing, it was looking rather merciless."

"You're just jealous that you haven't caught any Pokemon other than Merry, aren't you. Does the overwhelming might of my team _scare_ you?"

Connor shook his head. "Nope! Oh, and by the way, you're wrong - I've caught another Pokemon besides Merry today!" Connor took a Pokeball from his pocket and started tossing it up and down. "Do you want to say hi?"

Helen eagerly nodded, forgetting her taunting. "I can't wait to see what you got! Is it a Shroomish… or a Slakoth?! OR… maybe it's a Paras! Or-"

"Or maybe it's none of those, Helen." Connor tried to curb Helen's enthusiasm. "Just… Just look, okay?"

Connor threw the Pokeball, revealing the Pokemon inside.

It was a _SHINY_ PHANTUMP!

Helen squealed. "IT'S ADORABLE!" She grabbed the panicking phantom, squeezing it. "Please, please, can I have him?!"

"Helen, really? And she's a girl, not a guy."

Helen let go of the Phantump. "No, but I still really want her - she's a _shiny_ , Connor! A _shiny_!" She looked at him in amazement. "How did you catch her?"

Connor looked confused. "What do you mean," he asked. "I caught her like you would any other pokemon - she was wandering around the woods, so I threw a Pokeball at her and prayed that she would stay inside the ball. And she did."

Helen was dumbstruck. "That… that's it? No epic battle? No great chase? Nothing?"

Connor shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. It wasn't as epic as they make it look on TV." He yawned. "Anyway, I need to go to sleep as well. I'm going back to the

"Wow… okay. Sure." Helen sat down and faced Arthur. "So, did you do anything important today?"

Arthur wanted to tell them about the discoveries he had made, about his Telepathy, the Sonar, and Mirage's new techniques. But, strangely, looking at Helen, he decided that some things were best to be kept as secrets.

After all, they were rivals, weren't they? He had to keep _some_ aces in case she challenged him to another battle.

"No… not really. I just had a battle with a trainer and got his number. Nothing too special," he answered. Helen groaned.

"Oh, and here I was thinking you had done something exciting today." She naively commented. Arthur kept his mouth shut. "You should come with me tomorrow for training - we'll make it an adventure, alright?"

"Sure!" Arthur started following Connor to the ranger outpost station. Helen was irritating at points, definitely. But… well, she was nicer than what she first let on. Overeager, sure, but rather nice. "Race you to the station!"

"You're on!"

* * *

A week had passed since the discovery of his and his team's skills that day. He, Connor, and Helen had been traveling through Petalburg Woods, with each member doing their own respective task.

Helen looked for rare and powerful pokemon in the forest, to train her Pokemon on. Looking at Boom and Ginny, Arthur could tell they were getting stronger - during the couple of battles he had witnessed Helen have with the wild Pokemon, Boom and Ginny absolutely _demolished_ any opposition they came across.

Connor, on the other hand, searched the woods for exotic and cool-looking pokemon. He had a strange set of requirements, too - not too 'edgy', not too cute, not too bland, etc. Unfortunately, none of the pokemon he had found in Petalburg Woods matched his requirements - other than his Phnatump, who he had named Rei.

Rei was an… interesting figure. He figured that Connor didn't have the ability to talk to pokemon like he did, so there wasn't any harm in talking to her. One night, while everyone was asleep, he had found Rei (Connor let his pokemon out of their pokeballs in the wilderness) alone on a stump.

Arthur walked over to her. _Hello, my name is Arthur_.

Rei slowly turned her head to look at him. ' _... yes, I already knew that._ ' She cocked her head. ' _You can talk to me - with your head, right? Psychic powers?_ '

"Uh, yeah. I can hear whatever you say to me, as long as you think it hard enough.

' _I see…_ '

"... so, er… how are you, Rei?"

' _I'm doing well…_ ', she answered while looking back into the forest. ' _I never really thought I would be captured… but here I am_.' She sighed. ' _It was nice, living in the forest… but I think it's about time I rejoin human civilization._ '

"Somebody had released you?"

' _No… Rather… I was a human once, you know. A little girl who had thought it would be fun to play in the forest… what a fool she was._ '

Arthur was reminded of the fact that Rei was a ghost - as in, she had lived once before. "What was your name?"

' _I do not remember - Rei is all I can call myself now._ ' Rei answered. ' _Whoever I had been had died in the forest, and I was born as instead._ ' Rei took a look back at him. ' _You should return to sleep - I will guard this camp for now_.'

"... okay, then."

That had been a strange conversation he had with Rei.

Other than that, there hadn't been anything spectacular going on. Spring and Mirage continued battling the wild pokemon and perfecting their moves - Mirage's Fake Tears became much more convincing and her attacks all the stronger. Spring's electricity became more potent - he needed all the help he could get to recharge from Merry's static fur.

Arthur was slowly getting the hang of adventuring - the tips he received from George were incredibly useful. Small tips, like which Pokemon to avoid, how to find specific pokemon, etc… George knew it all.

So the week passed and they made their way through the woods, all the way to the other end of Route 104.

Helen groaned in relief. "We're _finally_ out of the forest! I thought we were going to be in there forever!" A large smile appeared on her face. "But now we're going to be in Rustboro! Time for the first Gym Badge!"

Connor took a good look at Helen. "Didn't you go to the gym in Petalburg?"

"Yeah, but Norman rejected me. He wanted me to have at least three or four badges before fighting him. Apparently, he doesn't like going easy on new trainers." She rolled her eyes. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy?!"

"I thought that was common knowledge?"

Helen sighed. "Everyone I met said the exact same thing - did I miss a memo or something?" She shook her head. "Either way, the closest Gym to Petalburg is the Rustboro Gym - so here we are!" She pointed to the Gym on the map. "Here it is! Let's go now!"

"Shouldn't we go to the Pokecenter?" Arthur had to comment.

Helen shook her head. "We're not going to battle, Arthur - we're just going to look at Roxanne battle scope out how she fights. You know, like real trainers!"

Arthur looked at Connor, who shrugged. Arthur didn't really care much either - and it was still early in the day. Their pokemon didn't really need urgent care.

"Sure, why not?" As he said this, Arthur released Spring, who proceeded to float beside him. "Let's go." And they were off.

As Connor had a debate on the look of various pokemon versus their strengths, Arthur held a conversation with Spring, who was moderately intrigued by Rustboro.

' _Query: Is this Rustboro City?_ '

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, this is Rustboro, the City of Stone."

' _Query: May we find lodestone here?_ '

"Those are magnetic rocks, right? Er, yeah, probably. Why, exactly?"

' _Answer: I need Lodestone to strengthen the power of my magnets_ '

"Oh, uh, okay then. Sure, Spring - we can go find some lodestone for you."

The conversations continued as they walked through the city. Then they heard screaming and looked to see flames.

Rustboro Gym was burning down.


	7. Rustboro

The three of them ran up to the front door of the Gym, which was melting before them. Arthur felt the flames licking his skin, far hotter than anything Boom could conjure up (at least at the strength he was right now).

As Spring cowered slightly from the melting flames, Helen had already released Boom. "Boom, Tackle an opening inside!"

Boom appeared in a flash of light, before smashing his way into the Rustboro Gym, the doors crashing down next to him. Helen had already rushed inside before Arthur or Connor could stop her.

Arthur and Connor stood there, mouths gaping, for a few seconds. Then their minds rebooted.

"HELEN!" They rushed inside, the panicking crowd doing nothing to stop them.

Inside was a hellscape for anything that wasn't a fire-type. Flames licked every surface, spreading and engulfing anything it could find. Arthur could barely believe that this place - the _rock_ gym - was in the middle of this conflagration.

Still, they had to find Helen, before she got too badly hurt. _Spring, use Sonar! Find her now!_

Spring, though, was fervently shaking his head. ' _ERROR! ERROR! DANGER! DANGER! HAZARDOUS AREA! HAZARDOUS AREA!_ '

Nice to know that Spring is a coward in a burning building. _Spring, just use Sonar once! I'll recall you once you do that!_

Arthur then heard the most awful screech imaginable, echoing painfully along and across the walls. Connor, unprepared, fell to the ground in pain.

' _Object Helen Located: Inside Museum Dragon Exhibit!_ '

Arthur then recalled Spring, because if he didn't Spring would have run out of the Gym without him.

"She's…" Arthur coughed. "Helen's in the dragon exhibit!"

"The museum?!" Connor shouted. "Why is she there?!"

"I don't know! Maybe she… she wanted to look at some fossils?!"

Rustboro Gym wasn't just a gym - rather, it was a Gym in the very back of the building. Leading up to the Gym was the main attraction of the building, the various fossils mined from Meteor Falls - the Rustboro Museum.

Other than Hoenn's prehistoric Pokemon, there was a large exhibit dedicated to the great dragons of the world - Dragonite, Salamence, Hydreigon, the works.

Arthur and Connor worked their way through the Gym, doing their best to avoid the flames and stick as possible to the ground to avoid inhaling smoke. They could bring their Pokemon out, either - Mirage's fur would catch fire quickly in this burning building, and Merry would catch on fire even more quickly.

And Rei? Let's just say neither Arthur nor Connor wanted her to die for a second time.

Still, they pushed their way through the obstacles (somehow) and arrived at the main exhibit - where they finally found Helen… battling…

… a member of Team Regal.

Arthur's breath hitched. "Helen!"

Helen turned to Arthur, surprised. "Arthur? Where were you-" Then Boom went flying past her, instantly diverting her attention away. "Boom!"

"So, Helen?" The grunt sneered at her. "Have you had enough fun playing around? Or are you that same girl who we-"

Helen gritted her teeth, summoning Ginny. "Ginny, show him what you're made of! Use Confusion on that monster of a man - crack his skull open!"

Arthur's eyes widened. "Helen, what are you-" Ginny used the attack on the Team Regal grunt, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.

"Helen, stop it!" Helen felt free to ignore him, a mask of rage plain to see on her face. Arthur had to stop this, _now_!

Arthur summoned his psychic powers, before causing a particularly heavy fossil near the grunt to drop on his head. With his eyes rolling to the back of his head, he fell unconscious.

Helen turned to Arthur, raging. "Why did you stop me?!" She interrogated, holding him by his lapels. "Do you know who that was? Do you know who that man was?!"

Arthur felt angered. Maybe it was the flames, the life-or-death situation they were in. Maybe it was Helen's powers at work again, after a week of her not using them. Maybe it was none of these things.

Arthur still walked over to Helen and grabbed her by the shoulders. "No, Helen, I don't know who that was, so _shut up_!" He shouted. "Now's not the time for it! We need to get out of here!"

Helen pushed Arthur away. "Fine!" She walked over to the grunt, kicking. "Worthless piece of garbage!"

Connor stood next to Helen, gaping. "H-Helen?" He mouthed. "Are you… okay?!" Connor was adept at ignoring the falling pieces of debris falling around him.

Arthur, though, was not. "Guys, we have to _move_!" He grabbed both of their arms. Helen took a split second to recall her Pokemon as Arthur moved the two of them to the exit.

"Guys, we can make it out of here!" Arthur was hoping for something resembling a happy conclusion to this whole debacle - namely, one that didn't end with them burning to death under the collapsing Gym.

Then the entryway to the museum collapsed, and Arthur lost that hope. He slowly let go of their hands, terrified of what was happening. "Are we… are we going to…" Connor stuttered. "Is this… it?"

Helen shot forward. "Like hell, it's going to end like this!" Helen ran toward the window of the museum, releasing Ginny. "Ginny, use Confusion on the window!"

Ginny's eyes glowed for a second, and the window shattered, smoke rushing out of the building.

Helen climbed the window. "Let's get out, now!" Before Arthur or Connor could say anything, she had already leaped out of the burning building. Without much time to think, Arthur and Connor leaped after her, making sure not to cut themselves on the broken glass.

The three of them laid on the grass outside as the gym finally collapsed, not ten seconds after they made it out. All three of them were breathing heavily as the acrid black smoke spiraled into the sky.

Then Arthur, somehow finding the energy within himself, began to shout. "Helen, what is _wrong_ with you?!"

Helen sat up, a little peeved. "Arthur, what are you even talking about? I should be the one angry with you-"

"YOU?! ANGRY WITH ME?!" Arthur was apoplectic with rage. "You were the one who dived into a burning building for no reason - before _attacking_ someone!"

"He was Team Regal - a danger to society!" Helen was staring Arthur down, challenging him further. "If I didn't take him down, who else could he have hurt? I saw him - he was the one who burnt down this Gym!"

Arthur was beside himself. "You almost killed him! If I didn't stop you-"

Helen turned to the Gym. "I wouldn't have killed him, Arthur - afterlife doesn't deserve scum like him. He's dead anyway, though."

Arthur's heart nearly stopped as he turned to face the Gym. "What are you…?"

"I can tell. Somehow, someway… he's dead. He burned, he suffocated, he got crushed… he's dead." Helen turned to Arthur. "One of us was the one who signed him to his fate. Though I wanted to be the one who did it."

Arthur sat down. "I… I…"

Helen looked at Connor. "Please… don't tell anyone this. I don't want to get on the wrong side of law enforcement.," she begged.

Connor fixed Helen with a solid stare. "And why not? You risked _all_ of our lives and _ended_ someone else's. No, you _wanted_ to end someone else's!" Connor put his hands on his pokeballs. "I don't know you that well… so if you're like this whenever something like this occurs…"

Helen shook her head. "This… this was something… special," she admitted. She began walking away from the two of them.

"Where are you going?!" Connor shouted. "Come back here - we're not finished talking!"

Helen fixed him with a stare. "Yes, we are. Arthur, I'm sorry - but I've decided that we can't be rivals anymore."

Arthur felt his mouth agape. "But… what…?"

"It's not you - I just have… issues… I need to work out," Helen admitted. "Maybe I'll catch you again sometime soon. Arthur, you were a good companion, you too Connor."

She turned to them one last time. "But I have a grudge to settle - and it'll be done without you."

She then left Arthur and Connor, scared and confused, behind, as the Rustboro Gym burned itself to the ground.

* * *

Arthur and Connor were at the Pokecenter. The news of the Gym catching on fire was on all of the networks, blaring constantly. There had been video footage from the few surveillance cameras still operational in the Museum. But none of their faces had been seen clearly.

And while bystanders later said they saw a boy with a Magnemite run into the building, none could accurately describe him. After all, next to the burning building, who could pay attention to a few kids.

Arthur and Connor had washed their clothes outside of Rustboro, as to not attract attention. They had called Helen many, many, _many_ times on their Pokedexes and phones to see whether she would pick up.

She hadn't.

"What… what's gotten into her?" Connor shook his head. "She sounds so… so…"

"She's on a warpath," Arthur surmised. "I don't know why, or how… but something must have spooked something into her… "

Connor cradled his head in his hands. "But… but she seemed so _normal_!"

Arthur turned to Connor in surprise. "Really?" Arthur had to ask. "I mean… she always seemed to be a _bit_ weird when I was talking to her. She was loud, annoying, obnoxious… she hit me a lot…" Arthur had a stray thought. "Should I have seen this coming?"

"I don't know, man," Connor admitted. "I don't know enough about her to say something like that." An idea struck Connor. "Hey, you started your journey with her, right?" At Arthur's hesitant nod, he continued. "Why don't you ask her mom what's wrong with her? Maybe she'll be able to help us understand."

"But I don't know her mother," Arthur admitted. "We met at Professor Birch's lab - she didn't show me around her house or anything like that."

"Well, get her mom's number from Professor Birch, then," Connor suggested.

So, at Connor's request, Arthur called Professor Birch and got Helen's mother's number. Professor Birch was a little confused as to why Arthur wanted the number from him, as opposed to Helen herself, but Arthur insisted that the Professor gave it to him. After a bit of wheedling, they managed to get the number.

Soon, Arthur had dialed the number in, and the line was picked up by what sounded like a tired old lady.

"Hello…?" She asked.

"Er, hello," Arthur spoke through the phone putting it on speaker so that Connor could hear as well. "Are you… are you Helen's mother?"

"Yes... " The old lady sounded tired. "Helen is my daughter, I suppose… why have you come to call?"

Arthur stared at Connor, who shrugged. "Um… the thing is… she kind of ran out on us. She said she had some unfinished business to take care of or something like that."

"We were hoping you would clear that up," Connor added. "She's worried us."

A sigh sounded out from the other side of the phone. "Did she, by any chance, see any fire?"

"... yes, actually." Something resembling understanding crossed Arthur's mind. "Wait, does fire mess her up or something?"

"You were traveling with her, correct?" At their affirmation, Helen's mother continued. "She should have told you - but then again, she often doesn't remember the fact of this problem herself."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked. "She can't remember this… fire issue?"

"Well, no… it's more like we remove the memory from her entirely," her mother admitted. "Helen has had a rather… painful past. One that isn't very well known. It was too much for her… so we stopped her from remembering the event, the pain, the trauma. She grew up a little weird, a little violent, but mostly a good girl. Every time she sees fire, though… she becomes irrational. Nothing can control her at that point - not even her own mortality or morality.

"We were all afraid, so very, very afraid when she revealed she wanted a Fire-type - the risk it brought. But we couldn't tell her no… so we prayed and prayed that today would never come." Her mother continued. "Today... you are in Rustboro, correct? You were there at the scene of the fire?"

Our silence was telling.

"Pray to see her again, then." Her mother finally said. "And hope that she will finally be willing to talk about what happened - Arceus knows we tried."

The line cut off.

…

…

…

"So, what now?" Connor asked him, looking him squarely in the eye. "How do you think we should continue looking for her?"

"... I don't know," Arthur admitted. "Helen… she was loud and a chatterbox… but she didn't really talk about herself. She went on and on about her plans for her gym challenge, the Pokemon she planned on catching… if she's left Rustboro, though, the plan should have changed."

Connor nodded. "She said she wanted to settle a grudge…" Connor looked pensive. "Maybe it had something to do with Team Regal?"

"Maybe - but we don't know for sure. And even if we wanted to look for Team Regal, there's practically nowhere to start looking, Connor."

Connor sighed. "So there's no way to find Helen?"

"For now, at least. Not unless she wants to come back." Arthur drummed his fingers on the table. "Then… I suppose we have to continue on the journey without her. Do you still want to travel together?"

"Of course!" Connor looked at him in surprise. "Why would I want to leave?"

Arthur felt something inside him glow. "Thanks. What do you want to do, now that we have all this time?"

"Well, I wanted to see a few Shows up close and personal, just to see some strategies other Showmen have," Connor answered. "It'll only be for a day or two - I should get enough ideas for my own Shows then."

Arthur stretched. "Sure, go ahead. I'll tour Rustboro while you do that, see what it has to offer." Arthur looked outside the window. "It's getting kind of late, though. You want to wrap it up for the night?"

Connor started walking to the rooms they had booked in the center. "See you later, Arthur!" Soon, Arthur was by himself in the center.

"... now what?" Arthur asked himself. For the first time in a while, he had some time to himself.

Arthur looked at the TVs which had displayed the breaking news of the Gym burning down. The emergency had been more or less mitigated, so they had switched back to regular programming, albeit most outlets were still covering the Rustboro Gym Arson.

They had found a body in the main museum, but were unable to identify the corpse's identity - the fire had burned the corpse's fingerprints off and disfigured the corpse beyond recognition. Apparently, they were trying to get some DNA off the corpse, but the process was slow going.

Then the TV cut to commercials and Arthur's attention wandered again.

Several trainers in the center were busy checking their phone or looking at the latest news coverage. Some of the trainers that Arthur could vaguely remember screaming their heads off at the scene were telling the tale of how they were so brave during the arson, rescuing countless numbers of people.

Arthur stayed out of their sight. If any of them recognized him as the boy with the Magnemite… there would be trouble.

"Devon's main priority is securing a bright future for all human and Pokemon kind!" The TV blared, as Arthur found his attention being drawn back to it. "Through the use of Infinite Energy, Devon has already begun developing ways of producing free and clean energy, so that life may be easier for all beings."

Devon… weren't their headquarters in Rustboro? It was worth a visit tomorrow, in any case. He might even be able to get insider access, considering that his contract with Polaris Vision. It should count for something, right?

As the TV switched to some ad for Gigant Inc. (some new environmental company that is the closest thing to competition for Devon in Hoenn), Arthur remembered that he had yet to still send all of the Pokemon he captured in Petalburg Woods to Alex and Polaris Vision.

When he managed to get into contact with Alex half an hour later, his senior (boss?) was ecstatic.

"Nice job, Arthur!" Alex gushed. Arthur flushed slightly. "This is a good few hundred Pokemon or so? You could teach our newer recruits a thing or two - and you've only been here for a week!"

Arthur flushed harder. Alex shook his head. "But that's enough praise for now - is there anything else you want to ask for now?"

"Er, yeah, actually?" Arthur was glad Alex gave him such a workable opening. "I'm… well, I'm just moving through the region - do you have suggestions for what I could do in the cities?"

"Don't you have any hobbies, Arthur?" Alex looked incredulous. "I'm pretty sure you can find something else to do with your time."

"No, not like free time, more like overall goals other than supplying you guys pokemon."

Alex looked thoughtful for a few minutes. Then an almost devious smirk crossed Alex's face. "I would suggest tackling gyms and getting into the Major Pokemon League Tournament - you know, the one everyone watches, the Pokemon Trainer Event of the year?"

"What?!"

"Oh, I'm not asking you to win the entire tournament or anything - but if you say, oh I don't know, you're a member and employee of Polaris Vision, a subsidiary of Devon… well, I can't see any better way you could help promote the company."

"In fact… let's say that after every Gym badge, you get, we'll give you some special benefits, beyond what you would usually get for large numbers of Pokemon."

Arthur was silent. "So… if I get Gym Badges… you'll give me special access to new tech?"

"Guaranteed - provided you eventually go to the League."

Arthur was silent. He was in two minds - on one hand, cool stuff. On the other hand…

… Arthur couldn't find a real drawback, beyond the hard work he would have to invest in training his pokemon.

"Sure - I'll shoot for the League." While he was saying that, Arthur idly imagined himself in that large stadium, fans cheering his name as he called Spring and Mirage onto the battlefield, whooping every time he managed to beat another of his opponent's pokemon.

It was alluring, strangely so.

Alex smiled. "Great! I heard on the news that Roxanne is opening a temporary Gym in one of the League's spare warehouses. Try going tomorrow - test your luck!"

Arthur nodded.

"Is that all?"

"One last thing - do you think Devon would let me in if I wanted to go see the headquarters tomorrow?"

Alex shrugged. "Maybe? I don't know how secretive they are about their technology, but with the Multiballs you may have a chance of getting in."

Arthur nodded. "Thanks - that was all."

Alex shot him a blinding smile. "Keep up the good work, Arthur! Remember, you're not just Supplying anymore - you have to train for the tournament!"

Arthur nodded as Alex waved goodbye. "Catch you later!" The line cut off.

Arthur mutely retrieved the Multiballs from the transference station and started walking to his room. He was definitely going to have to work hard to train his Pokemon. But not tonight - too much had happened.

Connor was in the room next to him, doing whatever he wanted, so Arthur was alone in his room… except for his Pokemon.

Releasing Spring and Mirage, he smiled. What Alex had said about a hobby - Arthur had practically forgotten about his skills - in fact, he had been letting them atrophy while he was in the wild.

And there was no better way to review principles than to teach them to others.

"Spring, Mirage… what do you know about transistors?"

* * *

(The Next Day)

Arthur yawned as he walked through the streets of Rustboro. Connor had already gone to view a couple of Shows, bring a camcorder with him so that he could analyze the footage. That left the rest of the day free for Arthur.

Just as he told Alex the night before, he was going to Devon for the day. After all, it wasn't every day you could go visit the headquarters of _the largest tech company in Hoenn_!

A giant smile split his face as he thought it. "Can you believe it, Spring?! We're going to Devon's headquarters!"

' _Query: What is Devon?_ '

"Devon is the largest technological company in Hoenn. Remember everything I taught you last night? The founder of Devon - Mr. Stone - pioneered a lot of it!"

' _Report: Understood.'_ Spring was silent for a second. ' _Query: Progress on locating lodestones?_ '

"Oh, yeah, that! We're going to that right after we visit Devon - I'm pretty sure there are a few quarries near Rustboro that we can visit. We should probably be able to find some lodestone for you there."

Soon enough, they had arrived at Devon, the skyscraper towering over them. With a grin stretching across his face, Arthur stepped inside.

He made his way across the luxurious lobby, finding his way to the bored receptionist, who immediately looked at him and sighed, before droning out a question in a bored voice. "Excuse me, may I help you?"

Somehow, Arthur thought he would be more… welcomed. "I… I'd like to visit-"

The receptionist put up an apologetic mask. "If you would like a tour, please go visit one of the other facilities. Our scientists are busy hard at work, and we can't afford to give tours to anyone who asks for it."

Arthur found himself on the backfoot. "But I-"

"Do I need to call security?" The receptionist asked, looking annoyed.

And that's how Arthur found himself outside of Devon.

' _Query: Now may we locate lodestones_?'

Arthur sighed. "Why not?" Now that he thought about it… with the new competition Devon had in the form of Gigant Inc, there was no way they would let just _anyone_ inside and potentially reveal trade secrets.

"Maybe a tour was asking for a bit much…" No matter what Alex thought, he was still just an employee of a subsidiary company - how had he thought he was even going to be able to view the inside of Devon's headquarters?

Arthur shook his head. "Right, lodestones…" Arthur opened up his Pokedex and pulled up a map which listed several quarries in Rustboro. Half an hour of digging later, he had finally managed to find one that mined lodestones - the Sparking Jade Quarry.

"Let's go get you lodestones, Spring."

' _Affirmative_ '

The Sparkling Jade Quarry wasn't very interesting - just a mass of excavation machines and Excadrill digging through the ground, creating large piles of dirt and rocks. A line of various Pokemon using Power Gem pulled the rocks from the piles, which were carried by Fighting-type Pokemon to various carts and trucks.

"Spring, do you sense any lodestone?"

' _Affirmation: north 47 meters, west 15 meters, there is a pile of lodestone. Query: Method of obtaining lodestone_?'

"How much will you need, Spring?"

' _Report: Approximately 3.14159265-_ '

"Okay, so you need a pi's worth of lodestone in… kilograms, I hope, and not tons."

' _Affirmation: units in kilograms, not tons_.'

Arthur considered the density of magnetite - 5.2 grams per cubic centimeter. Running through some conversions, that would be… three-fifths of a liter.

"You don't need that much lodestone, huh?" Arthur commented. "Is that really all you need?"

' _Affirmative: the previously stated amount is the only amount needed for approximately 19.2 days before additional lodestone is required for body growth.'_

"Oh… you're using it as material for your body…" Arthur thought about that for a second. "We should probably get more than that considering we'll be on the road. How about 6 liters worth? I'm pretty sure that'll be roughly ten trips worth of lodestone"

' _Query: How will the lodestone be transported?_ '

Arthur tossed a spare Pokeball up and down in the air. "These don't just capture, Spring - they contain, and I'm pretty sure they'll be able to take a few liters of lodestone."

Arthur and Spring walked up to the pile of lodestone. A worker standing nearby raised his eyebrow. "Kid, what are you doing here?"

Right, this stuff isn't free…

Arthur grudgingly pulled out a few bucks only for the quarry worker to laugh at him. "Look, kid, you buy these things in shipments - this isn't a store!"

"But I need some lodestone for my Magnemite, so I-"

The quarry worker laughed harder, and Arthur flushed. "Just take some if you want it. I don't care if a bucket or two goes missing - after all, I get paid by the hour."

Arthur raised an eyebrow but started filling up a spare construction bucket with what was in the cart. "I thought that you would… I don't know, care more that we're taking this. I'm pretty sure this is illegal."

"Kid, none of these rocks are mine - we mine for Sparkling Jade for money, and the Pokemon make this job as safe as can be. And no one is going to miss a bucket or two, so there's no harm in being here." The worker coughed. "That being said, you're technically trespassing and interfering with our work, so if my superior comes around I'm supposed to report you."

Arthur took the buckets he had filled and took aim at the lodestone inside, before throwing a ball at it. Once all of the lodestones were safely contained in the ball, he took it and ran like the wind.

"Good luck, kid!"

Even if the worker was rather amoral, Arthur still appreciated the free lodestone he got out of the deal. Soon, he was out of the range of the quarry, though his breath was hard.

Then he heard a sophisticated voice speak from his side. "You know, it's not that expensive to buy lodestones at a Department Store - though the prices _are_ still unreasonable."

Arthur turned around. "Who… who is that?"

A girl leaped out of the trees and landed before him, before sticking out her hand to him. "My name is Amber." She looked at him haughtily. "Do you think you are above the law? You clearly have no need to steal - your clothes suggest you are at least of middle-class background."

"I don't think I'm above the law!" Arthur protested. "It was… I just took the opportunity presented to me."

Amber sneered. "How many criminals do you believe use that as an excuse? 'They were practically _begging me_ to break into the store - they were _asking_ for it!'"

Arthur fumed. "It's none of your business, anyway. The worker gave it to me - if anybody is at fault it's him!"

"So? You accepted it when you could have easily just walked away. Not to mention you being here at all is trespassing."

"If I'm trespassing, then you are too." Arthur countered.

"Fair point." Amber conceded, before turning away. "The amount you took is trivial, anyway. I don't see much point in pushing the matter. In the end, all you'd be forced to do is pay a fine and return the lodestone anyway. You _clearly_ wouldn't regret your actions." Unspoken went a mutual agreement - 'I don't snitch on you, you don't snitch on me'.

Arthur snorted. "Fine." He made to leave. "Goodbye."

Before Arthur could leave, Amber stopped him. "Just so we're clear - we're not talking about this, right?"

Okay, so maybe he was the only one who thought about the agreement.

He sighed. "Yeah, we aren't talking about this."

Amber nodded. "Of course - I was making sure." She leaped back up into the trees with a single jump, which impressed Arthur slightly. "Oh, and don't go around stealing again. Feel lucky that I'm not reporting you."

With that, Amber left.

* * *

Considering his meeting with Amber, Arthur didn't particularly feel like fighting Roxanne at the moment. Still, he _had_ made a promise toward Alex, and Alex had done a lot for him to just ignore the request.

So Arthur looked at the League's website (which described the locations of the gyms in Hoenn, including the temporary location of the Rustboro Gym), and after going to the site and presenting his Trainer ID, walked inside the gym. Usually, you would have to fight at least some Gym Trainers before fighting the Gym Leader, but apparently, Roxanne had decided to forgo that rule for the duration of the Gym's reconstruction. As a result, the only battlers he could see were the challengers and Roxanne.

He walked up to one of Roxanne's drooling fanboys.

"Say, how can you get a fight against Roxanne?" He casually commented.

The fanboy looked over at him and started belly laughing. "Seriously? You - against Roxanne?"

Ignoring his hurt pride, Arthur continued. "Yes, I want to fight against Roxanne right now. How can I do that?"

The fanboy wiped a tear from his eye and pointed to a bored lady waiting by the entrance of the Gym, who had a stack of paperwork next to her. "Talk to her if you want the next fight - sorry, I meant if you want to be creamed."

At that point, Arthur left the fanboy for the lady, who shoved a small stack of papers toward him. "If you want to fight Roxanne, sign these."

Arthur wordlessly took the paperwork and started leafing through it. It had some basic information, like the list of Pokemon you're going to use, amount of gym badges, age, name, how long you've held the Trainer ID, etc.

Arthur quickly filled it out and handed it to the lady, who quickly scanned over it. "Okay… got it. She doesn't have any other challengers today, so you're up next, got it?" At Arthur's nod. "Oh, and good luck."

At that point, the challenger Roxanne was facing finally lost, his last Pokemon fainting. The referee, who had been standing in the middle of the two fighters, called the match in favor of Roxanne, and the challenger returned his pokemon, head bowed in defeat.

"Who's next?" Roxanne called out.

Arthur gulped. "I-I am!" Why was his voice failing him?

Roxanne turned to face him. "Name and Gym Badge number?"

"Arthur Bell. No badges, as of yet."

Roxanne looked at the lady, who nodded. "Oh - are you new?" She casually asked as she pulled out a pair of Pokeballs.

Arthur nodded. "Yes - I've had my Pokemon for about two weeks now." Arthur pulled out his own pair of Pokeballs

Ignoring the jeers from the fanboys, Roxanne continued. "It looks like you have two Pokemon you've readied for battle as well. The battle will be a two-on-two, one pokemon at a time. The first battler to have all their pokemon incapacitated will lose. If you incapacitate both of my Pokemon, you will win and get your first gym badge.

"The challenger is allowed to substitute his Pokemon - meaning, you're allowed to withdraw one and pull out the other at leisure. I'm not allowed this, so my Pokemon must be incapacitated for me to change my Pokemon. Once I release my Pokemon, you have ten seconds to decide which one you will use and release them. Failure to comply with these rules will result in your immediate disqualification. Standard League rules apply. Do you understand?"

Arthur nodded. "I understand." The rules made sense, at the very least.

"Then let's start. Come forth, Geodude!" Roxanne took one of her Pokeballs and threw it into the ring, releasing what looked like your average Geodude. "You now have ten seconds to release your first Pokemon."

Arthur didn't waste any time in releasing Mirage. Oh, sure, she didn't have a Type Advantage, but Geodude was partially a Ground-type, which meant that Spring's Electric attacks weren't going to work. And if you considered Geodude's Rock-type and natural defenses, a simple Tackle wasn't going to help either.

That left Mirage's Pursuit as the only real option to deal damage on it.

Mirage, appearing as Spring thanks to her Illusion ability, appeared on the field.

"Oh, a Magnemite? If it knows some steel-types moves, we could have some issue," Roxanne commented like the teacher she was. Arthur reminded himself to teach Spring a Steel-type move as quickly as he could after the Gym battle.

 _Mirage, use Pursuit! Make sure it counts!_ Of course, just as Mirage went for her first attack, Roxanne shouted her first order at the Geodude, which was to use Defense Curl. The Geodude curled on itself, sharpening its defensive capabilities.

Quickly, Mirage was on the Geodude, slashing and scratching at it with many Pursuits. Roxanne narrowed her eyes at the scratches that were appearing on her Geodude. "Geodude, wide Rock Tomb! Trap it!"

Arthur cursed as the Geodude threw rocks upon rocks on the battlefield, hitting Mirage and dispelling the Illusion. Roxanne smiled.

"Nice trick, Arthur. Too bad it won't help you enough to beat Geodude. Geodude, continue the Rock Tombs. Bury the Zorua."

Arthur grit his teeth. Fake Tears… it might not work in this situation. Still, it was all he had.

 _Mirage, Fake Tears!_

Mirage immediately sat down and started crying big, fat tears. The Geodude slowed down the assault.

"Geodude, you barely attacked it, it's Fake Tears! Close your eyes and keep attacking!" Geodude obliged, closing its eyes and slamming into Mirage. Mirage bounced backward with a couple of yelps, but the Geodude didn't stop there. It continued pounding on Mirage.

 _Mirage, use an Illusion! Distract it!_

Unfortunately, either Mirage couldn't hear him, or she couldn't respond. Either way, she soon fell unconscious to the Geodude's onslaught. The Geodude didn't escape unscathed, though - there were many, many scratches on it from all the Pursuits and it was huffing from the exhaustion.

Arthur didn't want to give it any time to recover, returning the unconscious Mirage and sending out Spring.

"Is that a real Magnemite, or is that just another Illusion?"

 _Spring, Supersonic!_

Spring unleashed a Supersonic on the Geodude, who recoiled from the oppressive sound blast.

"Geodude, Rock Tomb! Lock it into position and beat it down!"

Of course, Arthur wasn't going to give her such a large opening. _Spring, continue using Supersonic, then smash it across the battlefield!_

Spring obeyed perfectly, trapping the Geodude with sound and sending it clear across the battlefield. Geodude attempted to recover, but with one final push, Spring sent the Geodude past the boundary line.

"Geodude has crossed the boundary line!" The referee shouted. "Roxanne, please release your final pokemon!"

"With pleasure," Roxanne replied. She returned the Geodude and threw her other Pokeball onto the field. "Nosepass, finish the job!"

A Nosepass appeared onto the field, clunking loudly. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief - Nosepass wasn't a ground type, so Spring's electric moves would work just fine.

First things first, though.

 _Spring, use Thunder Wave! Paralyze it!_

He could bring this back - he could win!

"Rock Tomb through the Thunder Wave, Nosepass - disrupt it."

Arthur gaped as the Nosepass threw a rock through the Thunder Wave, causing it to shudder and fail.

"But… but…"

"What, I saw the Thunder Wave and reacted. Was that your entire game plan?"

Not by a long shot.

 _Spring, use Supersonic, stop it in its tracks! When it's confused from the Supersonics, use Thunder Wave on it!_

Spring sent an ear-shattering Supersonic towards the Nosepass. But while Roxanne, the referee, and her fanboys had to cover their ears, Nosepass seemed relatively unaffected.

Roxanne shouted over the Supersonic. "Nosepass is good at ignoring sounds, Arthur! Nosepass, use Rock Tom and knock it out of the ring!"

What followed was a pathetic sight. The Nosepass kept on throwing rock after rock at Spring. Every rock that it wasn't able to dodge cause another dent in his steel and knocked him backward. Without any way to retaliate, Spring was soon at the Nosepass's mercy.

Soon, Spring's strength failed him, and he failed. Arthur returned him with a grimace.

"The challenger has no more Pokemon that are able to fight! Roxanne has won the battle!"

"Nice job, Arthur. I would suggest getting more varied attacks at your disposal. You adapted well, but you need more tools at your disposal if you plan on beating Nosepass." Roxanne lectured. "I would suggest training for a little bit before challenging me again - you came rather close to beating me, so with some practice, I'm sure you'll win."

Arthur bowed. "Thank you, miss Roxanne."

"The pleasure is mine, Arthur." Roxanne turned to the lady at the front desk. "Hey, Natasha, who's up next?"

"Nobody, miss Roxanne. He was the last person for today."

Roxanne stretched. "Ah, so there's no one else. Good, I was getting a little tired." She turned to Arthur. "I hope to see you soon for another battle."

Arthur nodded and started walking back to the Pokemon Center. He already had some ideas on how he wanted to train Spring and Mirage for the net battle with Roxanne. Now, though, was the time for rest.


	8. The Stone Badge

Arthur was up and early the next day, already preparing his training strategies. It was something he had never done before, but after looking on the web for some advice, he managed to get some ideas for how he was going to train.

He met Connor at the Pokemon Center's breakfast table. Connor was reviewing some footage of a Pokemon Show, which only vaguely interested Arthur. Still, he waited for Connor to finish what he was watching so that he could tell Connor about what happened yesterday.

Once he had Connor's attention, though, the explanation was underway.

"So you battled Roxanne yesterday?" Connor chewed thoughtfully. "How did it go?"

"Not too great, but we managed to bring her to her second Pokemon. Mirage tried her hardest, but Roxanne's Geodude took her down without too much work. Spring managed to take down the Geodude, but couldn't put a dent into her Nosepass."

"That sounds rough. Are you going to try again, though?"

Arthur smiled. "No, not yet. We're going to have to go through some training before then. I have some ideas as to how we're going to do it, too."

Connor raised his eyebrows. "Do you mind if we watch for a while? The next Show won't be until the afternoon, so we have some time to kill."

Arthur shrugged. "If you want to, then sure, why not?"

After that, they walked out of the Pokemon Center and out into the wilderness, where they would have enough space to train and practice our moves.

"Mirage couldn't do that much against the Geodude," Arthur explained along the way. "The Geodude could weather the attacks incredibly easily, and in the end, all Mirage was able to do was tire him out."

"So then you're going to teach Mirage some new attacks?"

Arthur shook his head. "That would need TMs, and I don't have any of those yet. No, Mirage is going to do the same thing she did the last time we fought Roxanne - fight dirty."

"But that didn't work last time," Connor argued. "The Geodude didn't fall for your tricks and knocked Mirage aside, right?"

"No, that's not entirely true. The tricks, like Fake Tears, didn't work - but that wasn't because of the Geodude. No, Roxanne was the one to catch on. _She_ was the one to overcome the illusions, not the Geodude."

Connor tilted his head in confusion. "I don't get it. How does that help - they still aren't going to be deceived."

"That's the thing, Connor - I'm not going to be fighting a 'they'."

…

…

…

"I still don't get it," Connor crossed his arms. "Stop being so cryptic."

Ugh. Party pooper.

"I'm going to break down their communications, Connor," Arthur explained. "Mirage will use her illusions to prevent the Geodude from listening to Roxanne." Arthur pulled out Mirage's Pokeball. "Let's have a small battle, so I can show you."

Connor shrugged, before pulling out one of his Pokeballs. "Sure, I guess. Come on out, Merry!" His Mareep appeared in a startling flash of light. Merry baaed upon seeing Arthur.

Arthur released Mirage, who leaped onto the field with great grace.

 _Mirage, make the Mareep deaf!_

Mirage then cast her illusion, causing Merry to look around the field curiously.

Connor pointed at Mirage. "Merry, Thunder Spore! Lock Mirage down!"

Merry obliged, sending electric spores flying through the air.

"H-how?!"

Connor looked at him curiously. "I called out a command and Merry followed it. What do you mean, 'how'?"

Mirage, for her part, used a Pursuit to intercept the Thunder Spore, before looking at him with curiosity. Words flashed onto Arthur's arm, and Arthur took a look to see what message Mirage had sent to him.

 _ **ILLUSION WORK. MAREEP NO UNDERSTAND**_

But if the illusion worked, then how did…

… still, we were in the middle of a battle, so there was no time to ponder on it.

 _Mirage, use Fake Tears on it! Weaken it!_

Mirage sat down, crying her Fake Tears. Merry started looking rather uncomfortable with the battle, but Arthur could tell that Connor knew better.

"Merry, Thunder Shock! Weaken Mirage, now!" Merry instantly obeyed, an arc of electricity crackling across the battlefield.

Mirage stopped crying to dodge. A look of suspicion crossed Arthur's face as he looked at Merry.

There was something strange going on. Their tricks were working - there was an instant right before the attack that she looked unsure and worried for Mirage. Once Connor called out the attack, though, the apprehension instantly vanished, as though Merry no longer cared.

Illusions and tricks wouldn't work…

"I give up." There was no point to keeping this battle going onward, and Arthur forked over some bucks to Connor for his prize money.

Connor flipped through the money while looking at him. "Thanks for the money, but I still don't get how that was supposed to help."

Arthur sighed. "At the start, I had Mirage put an illusion over Merry's ears, to prevent him from hearing you - we made him deaf." Connor's eyes widened as he continued. "It was _supposed_ to stop you from communicating with him, but…"

"But the commands came through anyway." Connor finished, scratching his head. "That doesn't make any sense… maybe her illusions aren't that strong?"

Mirage yipped in anger before her eyes glowed slightly blue.

Connor grabbed his eyes, shouting. "What happened? Why can't I see anything?!"

 _Mirage, undo the illusion,_ now!

Mirage begrudgingly undid the illusion, and Connor could see again.

"... okay, _never mind_." Connor said. "Her illusions are working just fine, then." A strange look of curiosity crossed his face. "But if Mirage laid the illusion, then how was Merry still able to understand me?"

That was what Arthur was still trying to understand. "I don't know, Connor. Mirage is going to spend today working on her illusions, strengthening them against wild pokemon." Mirage yipped in annoyance as Arthur said this. Other than that, she offered no other protest.

Connor nodded. "Okay, then, but what is Spring going to do?"

"Spring's problem is different from Mirage's. He doesn't rely on trickery as much she does, so we're going to strengthen him directly."

Connor nodded, then Arthur continued. "In the battle with the Nosepass, he couldn't get enough damage on it. We're going to fix that with some new attacks - and I know just the way." Arthur pulled up his Pokedex, which he had navigated to find a list of Spring's attacks. "Spring knows Normal and Electric-type moves right now - and no Steel-type moves."

Connor nodded. "Okay, so which Steel-move will you teach him, then?"

Arthur grinned as he pulled up a video of a Magnemite using Magnet Bomb. "Take a wild guess."

* * *

The training was progressing rather smoothly, for a change. Mirage's illusions were slowly sharpening, as they grew in complexity. Instead of just laying a small illusion over an object (like cloaking or disguises) or only interfering with her enemies perception, she could do both at the same time - though the dual-illusions were rather weak, constantly flickering and sputtering.

They were more than enough for the wild Pokemon, though, and Arthur was sure that Roxanne and her Geodude (or whatever Pokemon she sent out to deal with Mirage) would find Mirage's illusions nasty to deal with.

At the end of the day, Mirage crawled to his side, begging for some fish with her Fake Tears. Arthur rolled his eyes and, with the help of Spring, captured some Magikarp for her to guzzle on.

Spring had grown considerably during the day. His electricity was much stronger than it was before, with no small help from Merry (who Connor had help Spring for a good portion of the day with her electricity). What was more impressive, though, was the new move that he had learned halfway into the day with only a small amount of difficulty.

Magnet Bomb.

Arthur grinned as Spring demonstrated his new magnetic powers. Raising his two magnet-limbs, Spring flashed silver a few times, signifying to Arthur that he was using a Steel-type move. Slowly, out of the ground, random pieces of iron and steel rose. Any that didn't come out of the ground came from Spring's own body.

The iron and steel, once collected, formed into several flashing bombs.

"Spring, attack the tree!" Arthur couldn't stop himself from grinning as Spring launched the flashing balls at the tree Arthur had gestured to. The balls, upon impacting the tree, lost their form in an explosion of electromagnetic energy, causing several large dents in the tree. A bit of the steel from the attacks was left behind in the trees, causing several large cracks in the tree to open themselves.

If this didn't do at least _some_ damage to the Nosepass, Arthur would eat his Pokedex.

As Arthur cooked the Magikarp he and Spring fished up for Mirage, Arthur continued working on his powers. He had psychic power at his disposal, though he didn't know how he was going to use it. Still, Arthur didn't want to be left out of the training game, so if nothing else then strengthening his telekinesis would be helpful.

His telekinesis had marginally grown throughout the day's events - now he was able to manipulate slightly heavier objects than he had been able to before, and he had gone from being able to move two objects instead of only one.

Now he could juggle!

It also made fishing a breeze for him. The only reason he had Spring help him was because of the electricity instantly killing the Magikarp, making things much simpler for him.

As Mirage gorged on her Magikarp, Arthur considered the progress they had made during the day and smiled.

Now was the time for rest - tomorrow, they were going after Rustboro Gym, and the Stone Badge.

As they walked home, Arthur smiled.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

Arthur sat on the bleachers of the temporary Rustboro Gym. He had already filed his paperwork with the lady at the front of the Gym, so all he had to do was wait for his turn. Unfortunately, there were more people here today than there were two days ago. It meant that Arthur had to wait behind five people or so battling for their Stone Badge.

As each battle raged on, Arthur took note of how Roxanne conducted herself. During Gym Battles where the challenger had fewer Gym badges, she would wait much longer to belt out her orders to her Pokemon, giving time to her challengers to make their decisions.

Against challengers that had more than half of their badges, though, she kept up a never-ending stream of attacks, whittling them down with contemptuous ease. Arthur winced as he realized that if he was going to continue with his Gym challenge, the battles would reach that intensity - except that he wouldn't be able to be just a spectator.

Soon enough, the last challenger in front of him finished, allowing him to step onto the ring. Roxanne smiled.

"Ah, I think I remember you. Arthur, was it?" At Arthur's nod, she laughed. "So you've had a day to prepare for this. Do you honestly think you're ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Arthur challenged. "I don't think there's much more room for me to strengthen my Pokemon before they're strong enough to take you down."

Roxanne continued laughing. "Arthur, Pokemon never stop having room to grow. But if you want to test if they're strong enough to take me down? She pulled out one of her pokeballs. "I think I can oblige that request of yours."

Arthur pulled out his own Pokeball.

"Let's go over the rules again, though," Roxanne grinned as Arthur groaned, before launching into an explanation of the rules again. She enjoyed this, didn't she?

"... and failure to comply with these rules will result in your immediate disqualification. Standard League rules apply. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, I understand?" Arthur nodded. "Can we get to the actual battle now, though?" Roxanne nodded.

"Get ready, Arthur!" She excitedly ordered, before releasing her first pokemon - an Anorith.

They were Rock-types, definitely - and from the look of them, they were also either Water-type or Bug-type. Chances were that it was a Bug-type and that Roxanne was looking to exploit Mirage's weakness.

Still, if he wanted to keep Spring good for the final pokemon…

"Mirage, come on out!" Mirage glowed white in the middle of the battlefield, staring intensely at the Anorith.

"Anorith, Fury Cutter!" The Anorith leaped toward Mirage, claws gleaming an intense lime-green. With a growl, the Anorith slashed down at Mirage.

 _Mirage, dodge!_ With a slightly awkward leap, Mirage sidestepped, the Anorith's attack - but the Anorith continued, attempting to slash at Mirage's legs and torso.

As Mirage dodged, Arthur had an idea - a wonderfully awful idea.

 _Mirage, slow down the Anorith's perception!_

As the Anorith's perception slowed, Arthur grinned to himself.

Since Anorith's perception was slowed, he was perceiving things that had happened seconds before - not the events that were occurring presently. The Anorith was striking where Mirage _was_ , not where she _is_.

What's more, it would look to Roxanne that her Anorith is simply missing a lot, instead of under an illusion.

With the illusion, dodging the Anorith became much, much easier for Mirage, as she was given much more leeway in how she could dodge. Soon enough, she was able to send in a Pursuit or two to counter the Anorith's increasingly agitated Fury Cutters.

But Roxanne was frowning, and Arthur knew that she was cottoning on to his trick. He had to end this soon, or else Roxanne would be able to end the trick.

 _Mirage, draw the Anorith to the edge of the battlefield! We're going to throw him across the line!_

Mirage weaved her way across the battlefield, dodging the Anorith's strikes and slowly, ever so slowly, pulling him to the boundary line of the battlefield.

Then Roxanne had a look of realization, before smiling.

"Anorith, use Screech!"

The Anorith let out an ear-splitting shriek, causing Mirage to cry out in pain and lay on the ground, prone to the Anorith's attacks. The Anorith leaped forward with another Fury Cutter, knocking Mirage dangerously close to the boundary line.

Mirage's back was to the wall as the Anortih cornered her, clicking dangerously.

Arthur's mind thought hard as to how he could get out of the situation.

"Anorith, Screech again! Knock her out completely this time!" Roxanne called out, echoing across the battlefield.

Then Arthur had the insight he needed, and none too soon.

 _Mirage! Cut off your hearing!_

Mirage placed the deafness illusion she had used on Merry on her ears, and the Screech washed over her harmlessly. The Anorith looked confused as to why Mirage wasn't on the ground covering her ears but looked ready to attack Mirage anyway, jumping and slashing at her.

But Mirage was ready for it this time, and barely managed to dodge it. The Anorith soon skidded next to the boundary line, already preparing itself for its next Fury Cutter.

But neither Mirage nor Arthur was ready to let the Anorith have that attack.

 _Mirage, make Anorith jump out of the ring!_

And Mirage delivered. Making herself disappear and her visage appear outside of the ring, she surprised everyone in the ring. The referee readied himself to call the match in favor of the Anorith, before the Anorith jumped at Mirage's illusion, throwing himself out of the ring.

As the Anorith landed outside of the ring, Mirage let go of both shaky illusions. Soon, everyone in the warehouse realized the trick that had just gone on.

"Anorith has stepped out of bounds! The Zorua is the victor!"

As the Anorith looked around, confused as to where Mirage was, Roxanne chuckled. "That wasn't half bad, Arthur, though your tactics needed some work. Nosepass, bring this back!"

With a throw of her Pokeball, Roxanne released the Nosepass that had defeated Spring a few days ago.

But Arthur smiled. It would be _easier_ for Mirage to take out Nosepass than it had been to take out Anorith - this would be a walk in the park.

"Nosepass, Rock Shower!"

Rock Shower?

Then Nosepass attacked, and Arthur's mouth gaped.

A veritable _avalanche_ of rocks flowed in the air - _flowed_! The shower of stone smashed into Mirage before she even had time to process what was happening.

The Rock Shower smashed Mirage out of the ring, and she fell to where the Anorith had landed previously. Arthur winced as he recalled her - that Rock Shower had an odd twenty or thirty rocks or so hitting her in the span of five seconds.

As the referee declared Mirage defeated, Roxanne smiled as she began a new explanation. "Rock Shower is the prototype of Rock Slide and uses many of the same principles. The main difference between the two is that Rock Shower uses up much more of the user's stamina and is overall more inefficient."

Arthur, for the life of him, couldn't stop gaping.

"Challenger, you are to release your next Pokemon within the next five seconds, or else forfeit the match."

Arthur slowly pulled himself together and released Spring to whirred and gleamed in the middle of the arena. As Nosepass stood still in the middle of the arena, Arthur brought himself to lucidity and made a promise to himself.

They _couldn't_ get hit by another Rock Shower.

"Nosepass, Rock Throw! Keep the Magnemite on his toes and start charging for another Rock Shower!"

 _Spring, dodge!_

As Spring continued dodging the attacks, Arthur wracked his brain to figure out how to deal with the Rock Shower. Nosepass could intercept Thunder Waves with his rocks and could virtually ignore Supersonics and Sonars. He had taught Spring Magnet Bomb to mitigate this, though… maybe if Spring was fast enough, they could whittle Nosepass down and prevent him from using another Rock Shower!

 _Spring, Magnet Bomb!_

Spring began throwing volley after volley of magnetic bombs at Nosepass - but most of them didn't manage to hit. The Nosepass kept on throwing rocks, not only at Spring but at the Magnet bombs he threw at the Nosepass.

"Arthur, we've dealt with Magnemites before. Don't think we don't know how to deal with a simple Magnet Bomb."

Arthur gritted his teeth as Roxanne sighed.

"Oh, and Arthur? Pay more attention to your Pokemon's surroundings. Nosepass, Rock Tomb - lock the Magnemite down!"

Arthur blinked as he took note of Spring's surroundings, before blanching. Many, many rocks littered the half of the arena that Spring was on, all fired from Nosepass - whether it was from the countless Rock Throws or the Rock Shower."

Then one final Rock Tomb slammed down on Spring, trapping him.

"I think you've gathered enough energy, Nosepass. Use Rock Shower!"

The Rock Shower sailed through the air, and Arthur knew that he and Spring were done for.

Or at least, he _did_ , until he noticed the Nosepass flying through the air, flailing its arms around.

How on Earth…?

' _Counter: Magnetic Attraction,_ ' Spring broadcasted into Arthur's mind. ' _Strategy: Using Opponent as a defensive measure_.'

Arthur couldn't tear his eyes off the scene - the Nosepass, dragged by its magnetic nose toward Spring, took the brunt of its own Rock Shower. Once the final rock landed on it, the Nosepass teetered and tottered, finding it difficult to stand up straight.

Then Spring sent magnetic energy into the Nosepass's nose and exploded it like all of his other Magnet Bombs. The Nosepass flew backward, knocked unconscious.

Spring tiredly lifted the rocks off of himself.

' _Report: Victory_ '

Arthur wordlessly recalled Spring as Roxanne recalled the Nosepass.

"The challenger had defeated Roxanne's final Pokemon! The match is over!" There was a loud sound of cheering from the bleachers - the spectators were jumping up and whooping at Arthur's victory.

Roxanne walked up to Arthur, navigating around the debris of the battlefield, and smiled.

"Not bad, Arthur. You came more prepared this time around than you had a few days ago. That final gambit… that was rather unexpected. We'll have to prepare for it in the future if we ever face it again."

Roxanne held out a small pin - the Stone Badge. "You and your Pokemon deserve this, Arthur. Good luck with your journey, and remember - never stop learning."

Arthur pocketed the Badge, not knowing what to say.

Then the referee coughed at him. "Next challenger?"

Arthur stepped off the stage.

* * *

Connor inspected the Stone Badge. "So this is a Badge, huh?" He tapped it a little bit. "This will get you into the Pokemon League?"

"If I get seven more of them, Connor. All I have is the first - I need more to qualify." Arthur stretched in his seat.

The two of them had met up an hour after Arthur won his Gym Badge. Soon, they were eating ice cream in a small parlor. Mirage was resting in her ball after receiving some care from the Pokecenter. The Rock Shower wasn't _too_ terrible on her, though it looked that way from where Arthur was standing. A few potions and a lot of rest would do well for her.

Arthur gave her some fish from yesterday for her efforts, which she eagerly gobbled up before falling into a long sleep.

Spring had no serious injuries. All he needed some more steel ingots, lodestone, and electricity, all of which Arthur had on him to recover. Within thirty minutes, Spring was back to floating in the air next to them, somewhat pleased with his win as he drained the static electricity from a napping Merry.

Arthur found that a little odd, too. Didn't Old Man Walter say that Magnemites had stunted emotions or something like that?

He mentioned this to Connor, who for the looked puzzled.

"Search it up - see if the emotion thing is true."

So Arthur did a quick search and found himself slightly surprised.

"Old Man Walter was right, they are generally emotionless," Arthur finally said after a few minutes of research. "But according to some of Professor Oak's old research, if Magnemite can bond with us, they can mimic and eventually develop their own emotions."

Connor whistled, waking Merry up. "So their brain changes?" Arthur shrugged. "That's kind of weird."

"Yeah…"

Their conversation was reminding Arthur of what had occurred yesterday, during his battle with Connor. Mirage's sense-manipulating illusions worked - after all, she had managed to stop herself from hearing the Anorith's screech earlier that day. But that hadn't stopped Merry at all.

As Connor talked to him about the various shows he, Merry, and Rei had seen, Arthur puzzled on the matter.

Then Arthur remembered his telepathy and decided to ask Merry directly.

 _Merry, can you hear me?_

Merry tilted his head to look at him.

 _Merry, if you can hear me, nod your head and think the word, 'Yes'._

Merry nodded his head, and a crackly voice rung out in his head.

' _Yes'_

 _Merry, could you hear Connor yesterday, during our battle?_

' _No'_

He couldn't hear Connor? That went in line with the illusion idea, but then how…

 _How did you understand Connor's command, then?_

Merry's head tilted even more in confusion.

' _Command?'_

Wait…

 _Merry, why did you use the Thunder Spore?_

Merry mulled over this for a little bit.

' _I wanted_.' Merry finally broadcasted.

 _Wanted? You wanted to what?_

' _Attack'_

Attack? Merry attacked with Thunder Spore… because he _wanted_ to?

What sort of obscene luck was that about?

But then… what about the Fake Tears, and the sudden shift in emotion?

 _Merry, what about when Mirage was crying?_

' _Felt Bad_.' Merry answered.

 _So why did you attack, then?_

' _Wanted to._ '

Arthur blinked, as Connor waved his hand over his face. Arthur had been looking a little _too_ out of it during his mental conversation. "Hey, Earth to Arthur! Wake up!"

"Oh, sorry," Arthur apologized. "I was just nodding off a little bit. What were you saying?"

"I'm saying that we should go to Verdanturf Town. They're holding a Novice Show, where rookies can show their stuff. And hey, why don't we explore more of Hoenn? You don't need to get all of your badges right away, right?"

There wasn't a need, Arthur conceded. "Yeah, sure. When do you want to leave?"

"I say we leave tomorrow morning. There isn't much more reason to stay in Rustboro since we've exhausted our trip. It's about time we get a move on."

Arthur nodded. "Go tell the Center that tonight's our last night." He got up and stretched. "I'm going to look around Rustboro and tour it one last time. See you tomorrow!"

As he waved Connor goodbye, he finally got around to thinking about what he had heard from Merry.

Merry had 'wanted' to use those moves - he hadn't understood what Connor was telling him to do, or was reluctant to… at first. But then he 'wanted' to use those moves, contrary to what he was thinking previously.

This felt similar to the ability Helen held but was fundamentally different in some way.

And… what was the ability Helen had wielded, anyway? She remotely controlled his emotions, though he didn't know exactly 'how'. Did Connor have something like it?

Arthur groaned. He didn't want to bring it up with Connor, though. The confrontation he had with Helen was awful, and he didn't want to risk something similar happening with him and Connor, no matter his curiosity.

As he walked around Rustboro one last time, he started appreciating the atmosphere. It wasn't like the boring and lazy Oldale Town or the rustic Petalburg. Rustboro was rougher, gruffer, as though the spines of the inhabitants were made of heavy stone.

Then he bumped into _her_.

Amber - the girl he had encountered outside the quarry two days ago - looked over him with disdain. "Ah… it's _you_." She drawled. "What are you still doing here, in our city?"

Arthur brushed himself off. "I came to Rustboro to get a Gym Badge," he told Amber - never mind that he had initially come to Rutboro only because Helen wanted him to. "I'll be leaving tomorrow."

Amber smirked. "So you failed to get a Gym Badge, then? Given up?"

In response, Arthur withdrew the Stone Badge from his pockets. "Take a guess."

The smirk fell from Amber's face. "Ah - you've succeeded, then. Type advantage, probably." She dismissed.

Arthur's eyes narrowed.

Amber started walking past him. "Either way, good luck with the rest of your challenge. You'll need it."

"You've never even seen me battle!" Arthur countered, looking at Amber's back. "I'm probably stronger than you are!"

Amber looked back at him derisively. "Sure."

That was more cutting than anything else she said. Arthur gripped his Pokeballs, as though drawing a sword. Then Amber turned the corner, and Arthur slowly let them down.

As an afterthought, he released Mirage, who upon being released looked at Arthur with a great deal of concern. The cool words wrote themselves on his arm.

 _ **PROBLEM?**_

"In a sense, yeah, Mirage," Arthur said. "It's nothing I can solve, though - hopefully, I'll never have to deal with her again."

 _ **FOOD?**_

"For me or you, Mirage?"

 _ **BOTH.**_

"I'll get you some fish or something soon, Mirage." Arthur off-handedly said.

 _ **YOU?**_

"I'm not hungry, Mirage," Arthur said, as his stomach rumbled.

 _ **REALLY?**_

The efficacy at which Mirage shared her sarcasm in writing, with only a single word, was somewhat impressive.

"No, not really. I'm just not in the mood to eat, Mirage." Arthur sighed. The mood had been ruined. "Let's go back to the Gym - I want to see some more battles."

They trotted their way to the warehouse where the Gym was. The day was dragging on and on, and there were only a few more challenges for the day. They were all challengers with more Gym Badges, though, so the battles were more spectacular. There were a few strategies that Arthur took note of, though he couldn't see himself using anytime soon.

The challengers were split into two categories. One-half of the challengers were type specialists - those that used one type to their fullest advantage like a Gym Leader would. They had strategies to mitigate their weaknesses - a Fire Type specialist, for instance, used a Magcargo to trap Roxanne's Armaldo in place, before firing a few Flamethrowers into its vulnerable spots.

The other challengers were the generalists - those that didn't specialize in any one particular type but used a variety of types. They were unpredictable and dangerous - but Roxanne had ways to deal with a type advantage.

The challengers fought on and on, and the battles were won and lost. Eventually, though…

"Roxanne wins!" The referee shouted, and the challenger took his loss, withdrawing his Pinsir (Arthur didn't understand why the challenger used it).

Roxanne stretched on her podium. "Is that all, Natasha? Do we have any other challengers?" Natasha shook her head.

Roxanne stepped off the podium, navigating around the mess the Pokemon battles had created over the day. "The Gym is closing in five minutes!" Roxanne shouted to the spectators, who started filing out after picking up their various belongings. Arthur recognized a few of them from a few days ago, particularly the rude one. Arthur wondered if they had anything to do outside of the Gym.

Arthur hung back slightly, not wanting to get caught in the rush. Before he crossed the threshold of the Gym, however, he heard Roxanne's voice behind him.

"Oh, Arthur!" She waved him over, causing Arthur's eyes to widen. "Come over here!"

Arthur obeyed, walking to the Gym Leader, who looked rather impatient.

"How was your day, Arthur?" Roxanne asked, smiling as they walked out of the Gym.

"It was fine?" Arthur asked, as though he was unsure what Roxanne was saying.

"Wonderful!" Roxanne clapped her hands together. "You've obtained your Gym Badge earlier today - are you leaving Rustboro soon, then?"

Arthur nodded. "I'm leaving tomorrow - my friend and I are going to Verdanturf."

"Verdanturf?" Roxanne asked, curious. "Any reason why you are going. Arthur?"

"My friend wants to participate in some of the Pokemon Shows," Arthur said. "I'll just be visiting and training at that point."

"Hmm…." Roxanne hummed, making Arthur feel rather uncomfortable. "If it wouldn't be any trouble… could you and your friend do a small favor for me, Arthur, if you're going to Verdanturf?"

"Sure?" Mirage was rather curious herself, pricking her ears to hear what Roxanne was saying.

"I have an Aggron that just evolved," Roxanne said. "Now that it's fully evolved, it had the chance to Mega Evolve. I have a Key Stone with me, and some Aerodactylite for my Aerodacytl - but I don't have any Aggronite."

Arthur was starting to see what Roxanne was driving at. "You want me to get some Aggronite from the Rock Tunnel for you?"

Roxanne nodded. "If you're going there anyway, it would be a lot of help. One of my assistants will be going with you as well, to make sure you collect the right stone. Her Amaura isn't very strong, so she'll need your help."

Arthur shrugged. "Alright, if you want me too."

Roxanne bowed to him. "Thank you, Arthur - you'll be saving me a great deal of money since Mega Stones are such a rare commodity."

Arthur waved goodbye to her after that, as Roxanne didn't have that much to say. As he walked through the streets of Rustboro, his stomach rumbled some more.

 _ **FOOD?**_

Arthur sighed.

"Alright, Mirage. We'll get some food."

* * *

Roxanne surveyed the lightly burning wreckage, still burning somehow a few days after the fire. It was nearly impossible for this kind of incident to happen on accident - without a sprinkler system in their gym, they had to rely on other means to prevent fires. That meant many fire extinguishers and fire alarms, as well as fire blankets and any other device the League could manufacture.

But… they were gone. None of them could be seen in the burning wreckage. They were missing - as if someone had stolen them away. Of course, that _was_ the only thing this could be - arson. Like this could have been an accident.

Of course, given what had happened last week at the Petalburg Pokemon Center, as well as smaller related incidents throughout the week, Roxanne could easily suspect one group in particular - Team Regal.

A Team… and unlike the others, they weren't content with simple theft of artifacts and Pokemon. They were working to generate fear in the populace. To attack a Pokemon Center, to bolster their numbers… and to burn down _her_ Gym, to inspire fear in the populace.

After all, to burn down a _Rock_ gym?

"Miss Roxanne!" Roxanne smiled, as she turned to face one of her more promising trainers.

"Why, hello Amber." The girl was bowing differentially to her.

"Miss Roxanne, you needed me?" Roxanne nodded, having called her earlier.

"I have a small mission for you, Amber," Roxanne ordered to her assistant. "I need you to accompany two trainers to the Rock Tunnel and help them collect Aggronite, as well as various other Mega Stones."

Amber nodded, yet Roxanne could tell there was an air of confusion about her. At Roxanne's prodding, she spoke.

"Ma'am… why do you need their help?" She asked. "I could go get it for you quickly, by myself. It wouldn't be too difficult for me to go and retrieve it." Amber took another breath. "And also… don't you have your personal supply of Mega Stones? Why do you need to get more, since you have so many right now?"

"All very good questions, Amber," Roxanne noted. Amber stood up straighter - the girl was vulnerable to praise, after all.

Roxanne turned to the wreckage of the Gym. "Amber… what do you see here?"

"A pile of burning debris, ma'am."

"Why did it burn, Amber?"

Amber slowly started speaking. "Someone… someone burned it down, most likely." She was much more unsure of herself now.

" _Who_ burned it down, Amber?"

"I… I don't know, Ma'am." Amber truthfully answered. "Your answer is as good as, if not better than mine."

"There is one criminal element that has recently surfaced, Amber." Roxanne confided. "A new group… by the name of Team Regal."

Amber blanched. "A Team?!"

Roxanne nodded. "They were behind an attack on the Petalburg Pokecenter two weeks or so back. They robbed a large amount of Pokemon from the Center, too. The League has been working to hide it, as they don't want panic."

"They're behind the arson as well?" Amber asked, putting two and two together.

"Yes, Amber - or at least, that's our best guest. The remarkable thing is, Amber, is a connection we have between the two incidents."

"What do you mean, ma'am."

"Team Regal's attack was, at least partly, mitigated by two trainers during the attack on the Pokemon Center. They drove Team Regal's goons away and barely managed to call the police, even when there was a radio wave jammer in place.

"Those two recently appeared in Rustboro as well… the same day of the arson. What's more, a Pokemon owned by one of the two trainers - a Magnemite - was seen entering the Gym as well. The two were never seen exiting the building, so we can't confirm their identities, but… "

Amber understood. "Do you think they're connected, Ma'am?"

"Perhaps," Roxanne admitted. "It could be a coincidence. Nonetheless, it's one to be looked into. Luckily, through a stroke of luck, I managed to speak with one of the trainers when they visited my Gym earlier today and got them to promise to find the Mega Stones for me."

Amber finally realized. "You want me to spy on them?"

Roxanne nodded. "I trust you greatly, Amber. And be careful - they don't seem to be powerful battlers, but if this connection turns out to be promising, they may turn out to be much more dangerous than meets the eye."

Amber nodded. "I understand."

"Go prepare - they're leaving Rustboro early tomorrow. Prepare now for the trek to Verdanturf."

Amber nodded and started to leave. However, before she left Roxanne's sight, a strange frown crossed her face.

"'Leaves Rustboro tomorrow'... 'owns a Magnemite'" Amber muttered. She turned to Roxanne. "Does this trainer… does he also own a Zorua?"

Roxanne's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, Amber. How did you know?"

Amber was silent, though, and didn't answer her. "So, it's him… Ma'am, what's his name?"

"Arthur. Arthur Bell."


	9. Rusturf Tunnel

In the Pokemon Center, Arthur's mouth hung open, as he tried to understand why on Earth fate had played him like a fiddle.

"Y-you?!" He stammered, pointing at Amber, who had been waiting for him in the lobby.

Amber raised an eyebrow. "Yes - me." She snorted. "I'm not entirely happy having to go with you as well… but I will do as Miss Roxanne says."

She turned to Connor. "And who might you be?"

Connor looked curiously at her. "Er… Connor. Can I ask… Who exactly _are_ you?"

Amber stuck out her hand for Connor to shake. "My name is Amber - Amber Steelson. I am a junior trainer at the service of Miss Roxanne. I hope to get along well with you."

Connor took the hand. "Nice to meet you too, Amber." He adopted a look of confusion. "You're coming along with us?"

"Yes - I'll be traveling to Verdanturf with you. Arthur has promised Miss Roxanne that he would collect some Mega Stones from the tunnel. She ordered me to come along to help him identify them."

Connor looked at Arthur, who shrugged. "I thought it would be a good idea," Arthur whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Well, I have no problem with it," Connor said, flashing a smile at Amber.

Amber nodded. "Excellent," She turned to the exit of the Pokemon Center. "Now, I don't like to dilly-dally, so we'd best get going."

So it was that the three of them obtained their bags and left the Pokemon Center. Arthur released Spring, who floated alongside him as they walked. He then beeped and whirred upon seeing Amber.

' _Query: The female human is an enemy - true or false?_ '

Arthur furrowed his brow. _Enemy? What do you mean?_

' _Clarification: Conflict arose between you and female human several days ago. The female human is an enemy - true or false?_ '

Arthur's eyes widened, as he looked at Spring with shock. _She isn't an enemy! We just… got off on the wrong foot, that's all._ '

' _Question: "Got off on the wrong foot"?'_

 _Our first meeting didn't go wonderfully, Spring - but that doesn't mean we can't work together!_ Arthur explained. _We need to work together, so we'll have to make amends at some point._

Spring looked at him skeptically, but Arthur was stalwart. They _had_ gotten off on the wrong foot, particularly with the lodestone theft and her snobby attitude, but… it wasn't _impossible_ for them to get along.

She certainly got along with Connor, that's for sure - though Connor got along with anyone. He could string anyone he met into a conversation, something he did a _lot_. Connor was explaining some habits he had observed Showmans practicing in Rustboro, and she certainly kept an ear out.

Arthur, meanwhile, decided to continue his Supplying work. They were currently on Route 116, and there were wild Pokemon on the route practically begging for him to catch them (metaphorically, of course - Arthur was rather sure they would prefer their original families and homes to Devon).

There were plenty of Pokemon for him to catch - there were the ubiquitous Zigzagoon, as well as a couple of Taillow flocks and some wild packs of Skitty. There were also a few stragglers from the Tunnel - the Whismur that got lost and wandered around the Route looking for their other Pokemon friends.

Arthur had Spring paralyze them all with Thunder Wave before they had their health whittled down with Magnet Bombs. Then, with the throw of a Multiball, they were captured. The process only took a few seconds to a minute now that Spring had trained and gotten stronger.

As Arthur collected the nearest Whismur, he was interrupted by a small high-pitched whine. He turned to see a tiny Eevee looking at the Whismur forlornly, its stomach growling.

An Eevee, huh?

Arthur lifted the Multiball and considered whether he wanted to catch it - namely, whether it was worth the throw. Eevee were rather commonplace - their ability to survive in many, many environments made them worse than cockroaches. He would be getting next to nothing for it, and it would just use up some space for other Pokemon

While, if trained properly, they could grow to be somewhat strong battlers, they were more likely to die of a disease from a bad meal they scavenged off some roadkill than evolve. In other words, they were a pain to train, and often not even worth it.

The starving Eevee looked used to it, even - it didn't look back at this missing Whismur, and instead went to look for new prey to catch. Arthur took a looked at its dirty and matted fur, as well as the unclipped claws which dug into the earth. It made him miserable to look at.

Arthur sighed, before lobbing the ball. He pitied it, more than anything else. It would have a happier life in captivity than in the wild. A trainer could take care of it better than the wild would.

The Eevee was sucked into the ball, which shook a few times before clicking. Arthur caught the ball that flew back to him, not even thinking about the Pokemon he had just caught.

Hopefully, Polaris wouldn't be too irritated he caught it.

It went on like this for a while. He ignored the rest of the Eevee he crossed on the journey to the tunnel since he had only so much pity to go through.

Other than those Eevee, though, he caught most of the wild Pokemon he encountered. The other two didn't mind, caught up in their conversation.

As they made camp for the night, Arthur checked the map. They were halfway to the tunnel, so it would take another day or so to reach the tunnel. After that, it would take a while for them to get through the entire tunnel. Arthur didn't want to make any estimates for a more approximate length of time, though - considering they needed to search for the Mega Stones, it would take a lot longer than it usually would have.

He and Connor had been at this for a week or so, so putting up the camp was next to second nature for them. For Amber… she knew _how_ to make it, but she had no experience, which led to a lot of fumbling around for her.

Arthur was sure she'd get it, though, when they left her after the job was done.

"Hey, Connor, if you need me I'll be training!" He shouted as Connor continued his Showmanship training, practicing various poses and move combinations with Rei and Merry.

Connor didn't hear him, too enraptured by the pose he had recorded. Rei, though, had taken note.

' _Understood, Arthur._ ' She broadcasted to him. ' _Take care._ '

 _I will!_

And with that, Arthur started walking to a clearing he had spied upon earlier. Before he left the campsite, though, he was interrupted by Amber, who had gotten up alongside him.

"Excuse me," she interrupted, bowing. "If it wouldn't be any trouble, may I accompany you?"

"... sure?" What was with the bizarre formality? She got along much better with Connor than she had with him, so what was with that old-fashioned bowing?

They walked together to the clearing, silent. Then, with an incredibly awkward cough, Amber started talking to him. "So… how are you today?"

"Fine?" Arthur scratched his head. "I'm okay - how about you?"

"I am also fine." She answered. Arthur was confused - where was the openness she had around Connor? Why was she like this around _him_?

He shook his head as they reached the clearing. "I'll be training Mirage today. I don't know what you'll be doing, but… you can watch if you want to."

"I don't mind that," Amber affirmed. Arthur just felt even more creeped out than before. There was nothing natural about the way she was acting. Still, Arthur just shook himself and told himself to forget about it.

He released Mirage, who sat there. "Mirage, how are you doing girl?" He said, so he could ignore Amber's presence.

Mirage looked confused at his actions but was happy nonetheless. His arms flashed with a message, which he took a look at.

 _ **HUNGRY**_ **.** _ **FOOD PLEASE**_ **.**

"It's always food with you, isn't it?" Despite his words, he was rather happy. Mirage was the same old girl she always was.

He pulled out a small sandwich from lunch he half-finished. Mirage had eaten some food earlier but gobbled up the leftovers regardless.

Another message flashed on his arms.

 _ **MAGIKARP?**_

"No, Mirage." He admonished. "You Magikarp way too often - you'll get fat."

 _ **AND THE PROBLEM IS?**_

Arthur snorted. "No, Mirage. No Magikarp for at least a week - it's a delicacy." She whined, but offered no further protest, thankfully.

Amber let out a snort. "You bribe your Pokemon?" She muttered, before instantly putting a hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

Arthur managed to catch what she said and rolled his eyes. "It worked, didn't it?"

Amber said nothing, her face flushed.

Yep, she was _weird_.

Arthur got back to Mirage and led her to a tree. He pulled out a Pokedex entry for Zorua and pointed to the next move she naturally learned - Fury Swipes.

"Mirage, I want you to scratch at this tree as much as you can," Arthur ordered. Mirage, for her part, looked like he was crazy.

Arthur understood what she was looking at him for. "I want you to learn Fury Swipes, Mirage. This is the standard process for it."

Mirage still looked at him like he was a few berries short of a bunch, but acquiesced. She faced the tree before slashing at it with her sharp claws. A few small scratches appeared in it, but nothing happened. She slashed at it with many scratches in quick succession, before turning to look at him.

 _ **IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?**_

Arthur shook his head. "No, Mirage. Here, come look at this." He pulled the Pokedex for her to look at, and showed a video of a Sandshrew using the move. Large lines of energy traced the path the claws went in as the Sandshrew furiously slashed at a rock, which was quickly chipped away.

Mirage, for her part, looked intrigued.

"This is what it's supposed to look like, Mirage," Arthur explained. "Your scratches weren't anything like that, so you need to work on it a lot more."

Mirage nodded, before going to work on it, slashing the tree with more purpose than she had before.

Arthur sighed, before looking at Spring's Pokeball. He had done a lot of work today, helping him with his supplying. It wouldn't be fair to ask Spring to go and train, not when he was so tired.

Instead, Arthur decided that he would continue working on his psychic abilities - before scratching that as well, considering that _he_ was tired as well. Mirage was the only one not exhausted by the day's events.

So, instead, Arthur decided that his time was best spent working on his hobby - inventing. HE had neglected it for the past few weeks, too busy training, supplying, and all other kinds of things. He had gotten a little bit of practice with it when he taught Spring various components of logic gates - but that was programming and software design, not the tough and nitty-gritty of building.

He released Spring, who would be interested in all of this, and pulled out some mechanical components he had bought cheap at a flea market in Rustboro.

"Okay, Spring, today we're going to be making a Styler," Arthur explained.

' _Question: A what?_ '

"What?!" Amber asked, even louder. "Arthur, _what_ are you going to build?!"

"A… Styler?" Arthur answered, not sure what she was so concerned about. "You know, the things Rangers use to calm Pokemon down?"

"I _know_ what a Styler is!" Amber snapped. "No - you're going to _build_ it?!"

Arthur shrugged. "Yeah - I mean, why not. I know how to build it, and it'll be useful for the Rusturf Tunnel."

"But… but…" Amber stammered. "Only Professor Hastings and the Ranger Union know how they're built. You can only get one from there! How did you get the designs?!"

"I reverse engineered it," Arthur told her, before drawing out the schematics he had memorized. "I figured it out when I was eight. It took a month for me to figure it out, but I managed to get one working eventually. I got all the materials I'll need from Rustboro, so it won't take too long."

Amber peered at the designs, flabbergasted. "But… but how?" She continued to gape at the designs, making him feel uncomfortable.

"Experimentation," Arthur explained. "Lots and lots of experimentation. You'd be surprised at how many Pokemon I irritated with the failures. Luckily Old Man Walter was there for me, or I'd have way too many injuries from Pokemon attacks.

Amber tore her eyes from the schematics to look at him. "You do realize that if the Range Union finds out about this, you could get into trouble, right?"

Arthur shrugged. "Old Man Walter saw a Styler before, and he told me they aren't quite the same. Mine isn't upgradable, for starters. Still, it's better than nothing, and it does what it's supposed to."

Amber gulped. "I… see."

There was a look of _fear_ in her eyes of all things. Arthur thought his lodestone theft was much worse than reverse-engineering the Styler, but Amber thought otherwise.

He turned back to Spring, who had been listening to the conversation and had been looking at the designs himself. "Do you understand, Spring?"

' _Answer: Instructions processed, awaiting orders._ '

"Then let's get building!"

* * *

Rusturf Tunnel was very _boring_. No offense to the Tunnel, but other than the various Whismur whining around, there wasn't anything to see or do but move on.

Still, Arthur had things he needed to do.

"So, Amber," he asked as they made their way through the tunnel. "Where are the Mega Stones?"

"We still have a way to go until we get there," she quietly said, as to not disturb the Whismur. "The Mega Stone deposit was only discovered a few years ago, and it's incredibly deep in the tunnel."

Arthur nodded. "So, how many days until we get there?"

"I'm not sure," Amber confessed, not making eye contact with him. "It might take us a day to get there, or it might take us three. Once we see drill marks, though, your part will be done. All I'll need to do us go into the shaft and collect it."

Arthur nodded. "So I'm escorting you, then. I won't _actually_ come and collect the rocks."

"It's a very dangerous process," Amber reaffirmed. "It's not something any person can do - I have the training needed, but you don't." She pulled out a Pokeball, before releasing her Pokemon inside - an Amaura.

"Flurry knows how to use Rock Throw, so she can pull the rocks out of the ground without touching them since the latent Infinity Energy within them is liable to explode at any time." Amber continued explaining. "Miss Roxanne told me that your Magnemite can use Magnet Bomb, but that's too dangerous in this situation for us to use."

Arthur sighed. "So I'll just wait for you, then."

"It'll only take an hour or two," Amber nodded. "Since Flurry will be busy mining, you're going to have to keep the wild Pokemon off our backs."

Arthur fingered the Multiballs under his belt, as well as the Styler he had finished last night. Oh, he was ready.

Fun little thing - the Styler makes catching wild Pokemon ridiculously easy. After all, when they _want_ to be with you, the Pokeball will have next to no resistance.

He didn't have to change his strategies, either - since wild Pokemon were more susceptible to the Styler's power when they were under attack from other Pokemon, all he had to do was have Spring or Mirage weaken them before the Styler would assure Arthur of the catch.

It was so _easy_ , it had to be cheating.

Of course, Arthur let Connor get some battles in sometimes. Arthur was the main battler of their bunch, but Connor was competent too. Amber had yet to battle, though.

"Hey, Connor," Arthur asked, a little bored with all of the catches he had made. "How much longer do you think this is going to take?"

Connor threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know, Arthur! Stop asking that!"

Arthur turned away, a little contrite. "Sorry," he muttered. "It's just so," he groaned. "So _boring_."

"We don't need you _whining_ , Arthur," Amber snapped. "Grow up a little - we're just as bored as you are, but we're going through this Tunnel silently."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Fine," he groused. He took a look at Amaura, who was walking next to them. "I've never seen that Pokemon before - it's an Amaura, right?"

Amber nodded. "Flurry was revived using a machine in the old museum. His fossil was from Kalos, though Roxanne offered to bring him back so I could have him as my starter Pokemon." She ran her hand over Amaura's icy back, to which he trilled. "I couldn't ask for a better Pokemon."

She sighed. "If only the Gym hadn't burned down," she lamented. "Then _other_ people in Hoenn could have their very own Flurry. But, alas, someone decided that the Gym looked like good tinder."

She took a hard look at them. "Were you here in Rustboro, by the way - you know, when the Gym burned down? I know that you were here the day afterward, Arthur."

Connor looked at Arthur, surprised. "When did you two meet?"

"We were at the quarry, I was getting something for Spring," I evaded. "And to answer your question, Amber, we came to Rustboro the day before that."

"So the day of the Gym burning down, then?" She pressed.

Connor sighed. "I suppose so," he admitted. "We saw it burn down, too - we wanted to visit the Gym, just to see it before going to the Pokemon Center. We didn't know it was going to be on fire."

Amber nodded. "I see - it must have been frightening to see up close," she mentioned.

"Not really," Connor said. "We just sort of ran in when we-". He stopped short. "Oh."

Amber was looking at him, her eyes staring unflinchingly at his form. "Do you mind saying that again?" She asked. "You sort of 'ran in'?"

Nice going, Connor.

Connor waved his hands. "Don't worry about it - it's nothing you should be worried about."

Amber looked at him, absolutely unconvinced.

"So, Amber," Arthur tried to avoid the topic of conversation. "How much longer until we get to the drill marks.

She turned an annoyed eye on him. "We'll get there when we get there, Arthur."

The group was silent for a while after that.

* * *

It was only a few days later that they started seeing the drill marks that indicated the presence of the deposit.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. From what Amber had said earlier, they were probably getting close to the site. They would soon be able to get the Mega Stones - then they could leave Amber in Verdanturf and be on their way.

Connor noticed the marks. "The drill site's here, then?"

Amber nodded. "All I need you to do is stay here. There's a maze down there, and Roxanne only trusts certain people to go down there - not many people know their way."

Amber sighed, before holding out her hand. "Oh, and Arthur? Could you pass me the Styler?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"We might get attacked by wild Pokemon down there - there's no telling where they might be. Flurry will be busy pulling out the Mega Stones, so I'm going to have to protect her."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you use another Pokemon?"

"I only _have_ Flurry," Amber snapped. "I've never needed another Pokemon other than her."

"Why don't we follow you down there, Amber?" Connor suggested. "You can trust us - we're honest and trustworthy people."

Amber narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so. Roxanne trusts you - but not enough to know the exact path to the Mega Stones. Give me the Styler, then stay here."

Arthur reluctantly passed her his Styler. "Be careful with it," he warned. "I don't want to have to build another so soon." He warned. "I'm expecting it back soon."

Amber took it without uttering another word, then walked into the path that led to the drill site.

Connor was frowning. "Why didn't she want to let us in?" he angrily mentioned. "We're good people - she knows that!"

Arthur sighed. "Look, Connor, as long as she gets the Mega Stones, I'm fine. This isn't our problem - we've done our part."

But Connor was looking at the path contemplatively. "Spring can use his Supersonic as a Sonar, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So he can help us find our way through these tunnels, then." Connor nodded. "Release him so we can follow her down."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Why on earth would we do that?"

"Because I want a Mega Stone of my own - when Merry evolves into an Ampharos, I'll be able to use it with the right Keystone." Connor's eyes were resolute. "But more than that, I want to know what Amber's hiding from us."

"Hiding from us?"

Connor looked at Arthur skeptically. "Don't tell me you haven't been seeing it. The distrustful glances, the panic, everything? She's afraid of us for some reason - especially you."

Arthur slowly nodded, glad to know he wasn't the only one seeing it.

"Something is telling me she's going to use the privacy to do something - I can't think of a reason she'd be so protective of Mega Stones, of all things," Connor continued. "Release Spring so we can navigate the site."

Arthur wordlessly released Spring.

' _Question: What is our current directive?_ '

 _Spring, find a path through the maze. There should be some uncovered Mega Stones somewhere, as well as Amber. Lead us to her._

Spring took only a few seconds to process what Arthur had told him. Then he started using his Sonar and began floating through the maze, Arthur and Connor following him closely.

As they walked farther down, the humidity grew more and more unbearable, and Arthur felt the walls encroach together.

"We must be getting closer," Connor mentioned.

Then Spring gave a report.

' _Report: Multiple foreign humans detected at Mega Stone site. Target Amber is immobile._ '

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "He found Amber and the Mega Stones - and other people, too."

"Other people?" Connor scratched his head. "Are there other people stationed at this site?"

"Maybe." Then Arthur thought about it. "Actually - Amber wasn't expecting anyone, remember? She wanted the Styler for a reason - and right now, she's immobile."

"Do you think she's in trouble?" Connor urgently asked.

Arthur shook his head. "I'm not sure," he confessed. "But we need to find out more - and we're not supposed to be down here."

 _Spring, take us down to where they are - but make sure to tell us if anything important about the situation changes._

Arthur trusted that Spring would understand what he meant by 'important'. Spring whirred in affirmation, and they slowly crept closer to where Amber and the other people were.

Soon enough, they came across a dim flickering light.

' _Report: Target amber and foreign humans are in the following mine shaft. I advise you to proceed with caution._ '

Spring was getting much better with his grammar - certainly, he was better than Mirage was with her grammar.

"Get ready," he whispered to Connor, who nodded, before pulling out a Pokeball. "We're not going to attack - we're just going to look at who's in the shaft."

Walking slowly, as to not make a single sounds, they made their way to the corner and stuck their heads around the corner, to see who was in the shaft.

And who else could it be but Team Regal? Because, of course, it _had_ to be them.

Wearing the green uniform Arthur was becoming unfortunately used to, Arthur and Connor saw Amber trussed up in tight ropes, eyes raging with impotent fury at the presence of Team Regal She struggled every few seconds, but given her state, she could do anything.

The Team Regal grunts weren't doing anything, though - they were doing nothing but waiting. One of them had brought out a small GamePak, while another two were busy talking a casual conversation about the Sports match in Nimbasa last night.

However, they were holding a Styler in their hands - _his_ Styler.

Then they noticed Flurry, who was notably _not_ in his Pokeball. Instead, Flurry was completely free and was pulling out Mega Stones using his Rock-type powers. He also looked unconcerned with Amber's welfare. Flurry looked cheerful - _unnaturally_ cheerful.

It didn't take Arthur too long to figure out what happened.

"They ambushed Amber," he whispered. "And they stole the Styler from her. They used it to control Flurry and make him pull out the Mega Stones for them."

Connor pulled out his Pokeball. "We can't let this stand!"

Arthur, though, shook his head. "They have the Styler - we need to take it back before we attack. Otherwise, they can stop us in our tracks."

Connor, though, didn't seem to listen to him. He quickly released Merry and Rei. "Rei, Confuse Ray, Merry, Thunder Wave!"

Arthur cursed as the members of Team Regal scrambled for their pokeballs - the jig was up. He rooted around in his pockets for Mirage's ball as he gave a command to Spring.

 _Spring, use Thunder Wave and Supersonic! Stop them as fast as possible!_

Spring fired a wave of moves from where he floated, as the grunts finally go their Pokeballs. But it was too late for them - well, for the two that were talking. They were paralyzed and confused, so they couldn't do anything. The third, though - the one that was playing on the GamePak - narrowly dodged the Supersonic and Confuse Ray. The GamePak intercepted the Thunder Wave, causing it to stop short.

The grunt released a Staryu as he dodged the attacks. "Staryu, grab the Styler! Amaura, attack the intruders!"

The Staryu instantly made for the Styler, which was lying on the floor. Flurry, meanwhile, stopped pulling out the Mega Stones and started attacking the six of us with Powder Snow.

Six of us, because Arthur had released Mirage at this point - and she had a very special mission.

The Staryu bumped into something invisible as it went for the Styler, only to find Mirage grinning, the Styler firmly in between her teeth.

The grunt grit his teeth. "Staryu, Teleport us out of here!"

The Staryu, in a flash of light, appeared right in front of the grunt before either of them could react. Grabbing on to the Staryu, the grunt disappeared in a flash of light as well.

Flurry, though, kept up his attack.

Arthur grabbed the Styler from Mirage's mouth and started the capturing process, generating circles of light around Flurry. As he did so, Spring used several Magnet Bombs on him to weaken him.

After half a minute of capturing, there was a flash of light - and Flurry became pacified again. And now, even with the third grunt gone, they had no more enemies - the two previously chatting grunts were now confused and paralyzed, and Flurry was once again his normal self.

They had won.

* * *

"So, Arthur," Alex asked. "What have you got for me?"

Arthur put the Multiballs on the transferring table, as the data was transferred to Alex's PC.

"Hm," Alex hummed. "Let's see what we got here. Zigzagoon, those are always good for labor. We'll find some use for the Taillow. A Skitty makes for an excellent pet, so that's good." Alex's eyes widened. "That's a _lot_ of Whismur. Did you go to Rusturf Tunnel?"

"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "There were more than enough there for me to capture."

Alex put his hand to his lips on the screen. "You were there recently, then? Were you there when Team Regal attacked?"

Arthur was silent. "Er, yeah," he admitted. "We were the one who captured them."

Alex's eyes widened. " _You_ were one of the ones that captured them?!" The astoundment in his voice rang through clear to Arthur. "They didn't say so on the news, but-"

"That's because I asked them to," Arthur admitted. "Since they finally admitted that Team Regal existed, people were going to want to know more about me. Since I want my privacy, I hid my name."

"Arthur!" Alex angrily admonished. "The whole point of you getting the Gym Badges and going to the League is to raise awareness for Polaris Vision! This would have been _perfect_!" Alex raised his hand to his temple. "Can you still retract your wish to hide your identity?"

Arthur shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. "I don't think they'd appreciate it."

Alex slowly nodded. "That's fine - you have plenty of time to make you mark. Let me just tell you this - when something like this comes your way, _make use of it_."

Arthur nodded. "I'll keep that information in mind."

Alex sighed, and continued looking through the list of Pokemon Arthur had captured. "Let's see… Whismur, Whismur," he kept on scrolling on and on. "Oh, you caught an Eevee?"

Arthur didn't look at Alex. "Sorry, it looked hungry, so I thought that-"

"Oh, it's fine," Alex waved him off. "Eevee are good for testing - they survive tests other Pokemon wouldn't. There's a test Devon needs subjects for, and this Eevee looks perfect."

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief.

Alex looked at a small notification on his computer. "Oh, you've gotten your first Gym Badge!" Alex shot him a blinding smile. "Nice job! Seven more of these things and you can get into the League."

Arthur coughed. "About the reward?"

"Oh, yes, that!" Alex looked pensive for a second. "I'll have it ready for you soon. When will you be leaving Verdanturf?"

"We arrived here last night after we got out of the Rusturf Tunnel. Connor wanted to see a Show that night, but when we turned the members of Team Regal in to the police, we got a little held up. So we're going to be here for three or four days while Connor goes for his first Showmanship Ring."

Showmanship Rings were the equivalent of Gym Badges, Contest Ribbons, or Princess Keys - small bands of decorated metal awarded to the winner of Shows.

"After that, we'll be heading for Mauville," Arthur answered. "I'll go for my second Gym Badge there as well."

"Okay, then. When you get to Mauville, I'll hand you your prize for the Gym victory. Keep up the training, and make sure to catch some Pokemon to add to your roster. You'll need more than two Pokemon to go to the League."

Arthur frowned. He had a strong connection to Spring and Mirage, and he didn't think he could make that connection with just any Pokemon.

Still, he nodded. "I'll do what I can, Alex." It wouldn't do to make him any more angry with Arthur than he already was.

"That's all I'm asking for, Arthur." Alex smiled. "You've been doing great, and you deserve a reward for your hard work and heroics. Just wait, it'll knock you senseless."

Arthur smiled. "Thanks."

And with that, he closed the video link.

* * *

Roxanne rubbed her brow.

What a discovery. What an _incredible_ discovery.

She had sent Amber on a hunch - it was only a hunch. What she had been _expecting_ was for Amber to return with a negative, the coincidence revealed for what it was.

Instead, the hunch was proven _right_. Team Regal struck again, in the Rusturf Tunnel. Not only that, but they struck at the exact site she had sent Amber to. There were Mega Stone sites in Dewford, in Mossdeep, in Mt. Pyre and Mt. Chimney - there were Mega Stone deposits in many, many places.

But for them to strike at that _exact_ spot, at the same time, at the same time - it was no longer a coincidence.

It wasn't evidence, though. It was enough for an investigation, but from Amber found in her little search, there was nothing concrete. Amber searched around on his Pokedex, but it was clean as a whistle - there was nothing on it. She placed spyware on it, but given Arthur's technological prowess, there was no telling how long it would last.

There were a few things, though. Amber pulled some personal information out of it, and she already had searches run on it. His mother was unimportant and had no connections. His father was completely missing from his personal data, meaning Arthur was probably a bastard child.

There was a girl, Helen, but she had gone off the radar several days ago - at the same time as the Rustboro Arson, notably. She should probably have an investigation that way, just in case.

His other companion, Connor, was clean. No criminal record, born in Floccessy Town - there was nothing fishy about it. They _might_ be forged records, but there was no proof of that.

But there _was_ a key contact, one he was somewhat close to - the CEO of Polaris Vision, a Supplier start-up. They supplied Devon with Pokemon, as well as other companies. It was a company with an odd twelve or so employees, but they were certainly growing fast in the industry.

Roxanne pulled out her PokeNav and dialed in the CEO's number.

There were only a few rings before the call was answered.

"Hello?" A man answered tersely. "Who are you, and how did you get this number?!"

"This is Roxanne Flinton," she answered promptly. "I'm calling this number on the behalf of the League." She let there be a small pause. "Are you Alexander Crystal?"

"Yes," Alexander affirmed. "What business does the League have with me?" There was a sharp note of nervousness in his voice.

Roxanne sighed. "Before I continue, be aware that the League has the right to void any non-governmental legal documents. Any clauses may be used against you from those contracts, and it will not protect you from legal repercussions."

Alexander's voice was much more cautious now. "I see. Ask your questions."

Roxanne smiled. His statements wouldn't be evidence, and wouldn't last long in a court of law, but she could use them to find new avenues for investigation. She pressed the record button. "Please detail to me your first interaction with Arthur Bell."

"Arthur?" His voice sounded confused. "What about him? He's a good kid, a little innocent but ready to work hard."

Roxanne's voice turned sharp. "Do you know he was involved with the Petalburg Center Theft?"

"What?"

"He was also present at the Rustboro Arson, according to one of my informants, and was involved with the attempted theft at the Mega Stone deposit in Rusturf Tunnel. He, along with his companion Connor, are three constants among all three events."

"What are you saying?" Alexander sounded suspicious.

"I'm saying that Arthur is linked to Team Regal's appearances - though I'm not sure how." Roxanne admitted. "My best guess is that he's causing these incidents, though I don't know how he could organize an attack like that so fast, especially when he was under surveillance."

"Then what do you want me to do?" He finally asked.

"Arthur trusts you, to some degree," Roxanne explained. "If we're going to find out the exact connection, we'll need your help."

Alexander was silent for some time.

"I have a way I can help you," he finally said. Roxanne smiled - she had cooperation.

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Arthur will be expecting a gift from me sometime soon, as a bonus for his hard work," Alexander explained. "I have some modifications in mind now for it, that will allow us to collect more information on him - I'll contact Devon for assistance."

Roxanne sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, Mr. Crystal."

"You're welcome, Miss Roxanne. Although, if there is anything you can do to make it easier to get Devon's cooperation, it would be appreciated."

"I'll let them know that compliance is mandatory," she promised.

Roxanne could her Alexander's satisfaction ringing through the line. "It's been excellent working with you."


	10. Route 117, Hiatus Note

It had been a few days since they had arrived at Verdanturf. Arthur had taken some time to train Spring and Mirage, and Mirage had finally managed to master Fury Swipes. Other than that, though, there wasn't much to see or do around Verdanturf. By last night, he was ready to leave for Mauville, and get back to the wilderness.

Still, the two of them had come here for a reason. Connor wanted to participate in the Novice Show, as a Showman. He had signed up yesterday and was raring to go for his first Ring. Connor had Arthur look at his practiced performance multiple times the night before, so Arthur already knew what Connor was going to do.

As the least Showman on the Theater's stage completed his act, Connor made his way forward, wearing a tuxedo and brand-spanking-new shoes. Arthur had never seen it before, and Connor looked rather ridiculous wearing the clothes.

Connor flung out his hand, released his Pokemon, and called out the move. "Merry, Rei! Plant the Christmas Tree!"

To any other Pokemon or person, what Connor had said was complete and utter nonsense. But Arthur knew what it meant.

Merry and Rei went into well-practiced actions. Merry started releasing various Thunder Spores into the air, which came to a hovering stop in the stage over the stage. Rei, meanwhile, released several wooden tendrils into the stage's ground using Ingrain, which wound their way through the ground like a fish through a river.

Then, only a scant second later, the wooden tendrils erupted and inserted themselves into the floating Thunder Spores. They wrapped and wound their way around the spores, shooting up higher and higher into the sky. Arthur could hear several Theater goers gasp audibly, and Arthur knew that what Connor was creating was better than anything else the other Novice Showmen had wrought that evening.

Eventually, the wooden spire capped off around seventy or so feet in the air, nearly touching the tip of the ceiling.

"Merry, LIGHT IT UP!" Connor commanded.

Merry walked over to the exhausted Rei, who looked fatigued from the number of tendrils she had to create. It would have been hard for a Trevenant, let alone a Phantump like Rei, to do what she just did.

Merry then stood on the tendril, the one from which all the others had originated from, and _shocked_.

A large mass of electrical current began flowing through the pseudo-tree they had created. As the current met with the wrapped up Thunder Spores, it would light them up, causing them to glow as brightly as neon lights would. The entire tree shone in the stage. Arthur pulled out some sunglasses he had bought earlier for this moment.

Merry, though was shaking. Lighting up the entire tree at once was no small feat, and Arthur could see Merry teeter and shake where he was still pumping in electricity.

Then Merry began to shine, and Arthur's eyes widened.

In a burst of light a few seconds long, Merry's form glowed and shifted. Merry got on his hind legs and, with a large flash of light, turned into a Flaaffy.

"You're kidding me," Arthur muttered under his breath. For him to evolve _now_ , at such an opportune time, was incredible.

Judging from the roar and cheers of the crowd and the powerful clapping of the judges, they also thought that it was impressive.

Connor took several bows on the stage, as did Merry and Rei.

"Thank you, thank you!" He cried to the audience.

Then he recalled Merry and Rei and exited the stage.

There were other promising Showmen in the Show as well. One had a Weepinbell use Razor Leaf while their Magmar lit the leaves on fire, creating a stunning blizzard of flame. Another had their Braviary Brave Bird their way through a tunnel of Will-O-Wisp, making strange apparitions appear.

But nothing came _close_ to Connor' spectacle - none at all. At the end of the show, the judges came down to the stage with all of the Showmen on it, before walking to Connor and awarding him the Showmanship Ring in a small velvet box. Connor raised it high in the air, as to show it off, and the crowd clapped and stamped their feet hard in approval.

After that were the closing ceremonies to the Show, which Arthur didn't pay much attention to. Mostly it was the for the Showmen, congratulating them on their hard efforts. The crowd eventually filtered out of the Theater, talking animatedly about the feats they had seen.

Arthur met Connor outside the Theater. Connor had changed into more casual clothing somewhere in the Theater.

"Can you believe it, Arthur?!" Connor was laughing and crying with joy. "I- I won!" Connor put a shaky hand into his pocket and pulled out the Showmanship Ring. It sparkled brilliantly a small jewel inlaid into it reflecting in the moonlight.

Connor then released Merry, who now stood on two legs as opposed to four. "And - and Merry evolved!" Merry baaed in response, scratching one of his conical ears with his forepaws.

"Congratulations, Connor," Arthur said honestly. "Let's go celebrate - it's on me."

They walked to a small chain restaurant that Arthur knew Connor liked, and Arthur ordered for them. Once the food came, Connor continued talking animatedly.

"It's - I can't believe it!" Connor's words flowed out of him like a river. "It was always a dream for me to win a Show, and now I have! And - and-"

"Connor, _relax_." Arthur smiled. "Just enjoy your victory."

Connor, thankfully, took him up on his advice. He then went into a long tangent about what it felt like to be on the stage to have everyone watching you, and what it was like to see the Christmas Tree unfold over him.

"I never thought I would be capable of that sort of thing." Connor flushed. "I - I mean, I never would have thought Merry and Rei capable of it. It never went that big before, and Merry never put that much electricity into it. I may have coaxed them too hard during the performance."

"Coax?" Arthur asked as it was a strange word to use there. "What do you mean, 'coax'?"

But Connor went pale and refused to talk any more about it. Arthur didn't push.

"Anyway, I have to go," Connor said, looking rather downcast. "I'm - I'll be going to Mauville the day after tomorrow." Connor turned to me. "If it's possible, can we go separately? I want to enjoy the night alone with my team. You know, congratulate them. I want to see Route 117 by myself as well."

"Oh, okay, sure," Arthur said. There was a strange feeling in him - he would have normally pushed more to know about what Connor said about 'coaxing', but he felt the urge to ask shrink and sputter into nothing.

It felt weird, strange, not something he would usually feel - wrong, in short.

"I'll meet you in Mauville, Arthur," Connor said listlessly, before walking out of the restaurant.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

* * *

Route 117 was an idyllic masterpiece of a Route. There wasn't anything large or impressive - instead, all Arthur was left with was a feeling of serenity, like he was walking through a painting.

He encountered some trainers on Route 117 as well. The battles were hard-fought. Sometimes Arthur would lose, and he would have to fork over his money. Other times he would win, and they would fork over their money to him.

As Arthur battled along the route, he could tell that Mirage and Spring's battle senses were sharpening. The wild Pokemon they now faced were now trivial for them to deal with, and the speed at which they could dispatch them with if they were honestly trying was somewhat frightening.

Of course, when Arthur wanted to capture a Pokemon for Supplying purposes, he would simply whip out the Styler and start drawing lines around it. Soon enough, it would be so pacified that all he had to do was throw out a Multiball at it, and there would be next to no resistance.

Arthur wondered how this could be so _easy_ , to capture Pokemon for Supplying.

What _wasn't_ so easy was finding a new team member for himself. He had decided to heed Alex's advice and catch another Pokemon for his team, so he didn't only have Mirage and Spring. The trouble was that he didn't know what Pokemon would be a good complement for his team.

None of the Route 117 Pokemon stood out to him - they were all enjoying their life in the countryside and had no real desire to be a member of his team. Arthur knew they could still be a member of his team, but he also instinctively knew he would never be as close to them as he was to Mirage and Spring.

So Arthur just threw his cavalcade of Multiballs at the wild Pokemon. Arthur wasn't sure he'd find _anyone_ he'd be willing to let join his team, though he would keep his eye out.

Other than that, he kept the barrage of Multiballs coming, and the Zigzagoon, Volbeat, Illumise, Roselia, Oddish, and Marill he encountered were soon firmly sequestered inside.

All in all, the Route was going by without any event. Arthur trained his Pokemon every night to break the monotony, but there was only so much they could do.

They did grow in strength, though, over the next week. After Mirage mastered Fury Swipes, she was in the process of learning Feint Attack. She rather liked the move, too - something in it meshed well with Mirage's tricky nature, and she used the move she was learning on every wild Pokemon she came across.

Other than that, her illusions continued growing in strength. She could now comfortable put two or three illusions up, though they were still rather weak and were easily broken when the right sort of pressure was put on them.

Spring, on the other hand, learned Light Screen after a few days, and would regularly use them to trap wild Pokemon in place. It also made any damage he and Mirage took during a battle near nonexistent, which was a slight relief.

After he learned Light Screen, he started working on Sonic Boom, where he would weaponize sound to hurt his opponent's eardrums. It was _not_ pleasant to be around Spring when he was practicing due to a bomb-like sound going off every time he attempted to use it. Soon, that training was getting on Arthur's nerves.

That growth was going on well too, thankfully.

Arthur continued training his powers as well. His telekinesis could now lift several somewhat heavy objects, like his backpack. During the travel portions of their journey through Route 117, he would often use it to carry his pack. The headaches he got would eventually subside, and the endurance he was forming was helping too.

Arthur wasn't sure how to train something like telepathy. He read somewhere that it could be used to do things like reading minds, but he didn't know where to even begin with something like that.

It was also said that psychic powers could be used to commune with the dead and see into the future. Arthur figured if he could do that, he would be able to figure out how he eventually trained it (assuming time worked like that).

For now, he simply tried talking to more Pokemon at the same time with his telepathy. It was partially successful - he could _do_ it, but in practice holding two separate conversations at once was difficult.

Other than that, he spent the evenings relaxing with his Pokemon alone, or just building and programming. Spring needed a generator to get electricity from, so Arthur figured that building a portable and cost-efficient one was his biggest priority right now. It was slow-going, but Arthur suspected that with another month of work he'd be able to make one that would be enough for Spring, or at least until he evolved.

Which begged the question of _when_ they were going to evolve. Arthur knew it would take a while, but given how surprised Connor was with the evolution of Merry, Arthur had to think that it wouldn't be _too_ long before Mirage or Spring evolved. Spring would go through two evolutions, and he was getting rather strong as well (he told me he would need more lodestone soon, to strengthen his magnets even more).

There weren't enough Zorua and Zoroark captured to know the precise point they would evolve. So Arthur had to hope for the best in that regard.

It was on the fifth day of their travels that something unusual occurred. As they were walking through a small path through one of the many meadows Route 117 had to offer, Arthur spotted a small Pokemon in the distance.

He turned to Spring, who was floating next to him at that point. _Spring, what's that Pokemon?_

' _Report: Target indicated is a female Deerling. Notably, the hind legs are laying down at the ground at an ineffective angle. Scans show that the Deerling is injured._ '

Arthur's eyes widened, and he began to consider the situation. The Deerling was in a lot of trouble if it couldn't move its legs the way it needed to.

Should he let nature takes its course?

…

…

…

Arthur walked over to where the Deerling was lying on the meadow, hands raised non threateningly. Of course, it didn't do him much good, as the Deerling immediately tried scuttling away with its two good legs - Deerling were notoriously wary of humans.

He released Mirage. _Mirage, make the Deerling unable to feel her legs._ The sensory loss in the Deerling's legs would both prevent her from trying to run away and relieve the pain of the injury.

As the Deerling's legs fell, she turned a fearful eye on him. Arthur sighed, before whipping out the Styler. He never imagined he would be doing Ranger duty before.

Arthur was getting rather good at using the Styler too, with all of the practice he was getting in with it. Oh, he was never going to come close to the skill an actual Ranger had with one, but he was a Pokemon Trainer, not a Ranger.

After a quick capture, the Deerling was no longer looking at him with fright, but instead a look of weariness. Arthur extended his telepathy to encompass her and tried for a friendly approach.

 _Hello, Deerling!_ He started. _What's your name?_

' _... no name…_ ' The soft feminine voice echoed lightly in his thoughts. ' _Leave_.'

Strange. Arthur had spoken to wild Pokemon he had captured before, yet none of them were this morose. _What's wrong?_

' _No use to herd._ ' The Deerling replied. ' _Alone, useless, going to die._ '

Arthur sighed. _Look, Deerling, I'm not going to let you die,_ he told her bluntly, before pulling out a Pokeball. _I don't want to leave a Pokemon for dead, so if you have no objections, I'm going to capture so you can get medical help_.

The Deerling shook her head. ' _No… shame to live…_ '

 _Stop kidding yourself. You want to live as much as any other Pokemon does. The shame will disappear with time._

' _No… shame to leave the herd…_ ' The Deerling protested.

Arthur started tossing the Pokeball up and down. _Well, too bad for you, but I'm taking matters into my own hands._ He stood up and wound up for the throw.

' _Wait!_ ' The Deerling cried, alarm deep set in her face. Arthur sighed.

 _Name one good reason why I shouldn't take you to get medical treatment_. _One that doesn't involve the herd._

The Deerling was silent, and Arthur knew that he won.

' _Lady…_ ' Oh? ' _Lady… far to the south… lives in cottage… healer_.'

Arthur raised an eyebrow. _And why shouldn't I just take you to a Pokemon Center instead?_

' _Herd passes by cottage… can rejoin when healed…_ ' The Deerling explained.

Arthur sighed, before nodding. _Fine, I'll take you to see that lady_. Arthur threw the Pokeball, much to the Deerling's surprise. As the Pokeball returned from the capture, he pocketed it, before looking at Spring.

 _Spring, find that cottage the Deerling was referring to._ It would be a small detour, but Arthur wouldn't mind too dearly. It didn't seem right, just leaving the Deerling out here to die.

Spring activated his Sonar as they went on. It was the more wide-reaching kind, so they would be able to find the cottage with less difficulty. Arthur wondered why the Deerling was so willing to go with the lady when something like the Pokemon Centers was so much more widely known even among Pokemon.

Arthur would respect the Deerling's wishes, though, and they continued their walk through the Route.

And, sure enough, they wound their way over to a small cottage far, _far_ off the beaten path. It didn't look like anyone had visited there in ages. Arthur did the sensible thing and knocked.

It was a few seconds before the door creaked open, and a weak old voice sounded through the door. "Come in."

Arthur opened the door and made his way in. The inside of the cottage was _old_ \- there were no televisions, no PCs, no monitors or screens, or anything of that sort. There were no cobwebs, though, which was good.

Lying on top of a bed was a withered old crone, who was taking several long, painful breaths. Next to her was a strange Pokemon, on that he'd never seen before. It looked like a strange fusion of a Beheeyem, a Beldum, and a Solosis. It was levitating small herb drops into her mouth, which she ate with a small frown.

Arthur slowly made my way toward her, as she looked up. The strange Pokemon stopped levitating food up to her mouth as well, turning to stare at him. He felt a strange presence dance around in his mind. Strangely, he wasn't too worried about it.

"So,' the old lady finally said. "You have brought a patient here?"

The Psychic Pokemon must have told her what Arthur was thinking, which made this whole ordeal so much easier. He nodded and released the Deerling onto the bed.

As the Deerling materialized, the old lady frowned. "Oh, dear," she finally said. "This is a very serious injury. Barty, can you fetch me Audie's Pokeball?"

The Psychic-type floated a Pokeball from the nightstand into the old lady's hand, and she released an Audino. "Audie, can you heal this poor Deerling?" Audie, looking at the prone Deerling, nodded, before a Heal Pulse formed in her hands.

Within seconds, the injury was disappearing, though the Deerling looked no less in pain.

"Barty, make sure the Deerling is immobilized, so it doesn't move too much. Audie, keep working." The old woman kept on giving commands to her two pokemon, and eventually, the Deerling was looking much better.

The old woman looked at Arthur. "So, dear. Why did you save this Deerling?"

Arthur was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You had a choice, Arthur." The fact that she knew his name wasn't as worrying as he thought it would be. "Deerling could have survived without you - she would have had to eat the grass at her feet, and she would have to be extraordinarily lucky, but she _could_ have survived."

"I-"

"But let's suppose she was fated to die if she was left there. Tell me, _why_ does it matter to _you_."

"I'm not sure what you're saying, ma'am," Arthur finally said. "She was - she was lying there. She was in trouble."

"And why was it _your_ problem?" The crone raised her eyebrows.

"Are you saying - are you saying I _shouldn't_ have saved her?!"

"Did I say that?" The crone looked pensive. "I must have aged further than I thought if I said something so callous, then forgot about it."

"N-no!" He frantically denied. "You didn't say that!"

"Then why was it your problem?" She repeated. "You didn't _have_ to save her, and you might not have even needed to. What does the life of a single Deerling mean to you?"

…

…

…

"Not much," I honestly said - and if my character was being tested, I would probably be failing. "I just felt pity."

"Pity?" The old woman snorted. "Pity doesn't drive people into action. Pity just causes them to _sigh_ and weep at the injustice at it all, before going back to their lavish home. _Pity_ wasn't what made you save her."

"Then moral duty," he argued. "I did it because I felt it was right."

"Wrong again, Arthur." He had never introduced myself. "You are too smart for that. There was a more moral path for you to take - namely, to have the Deerling healed at the Pokemon Center, then have her released in the wild. There was no purpose to bring her to an unknown lady in the woods, such as myself. It was more reliable than I was, after all."

"But it wasn't what the Deerling wanted," He argued. "She wanted to be healed here!"

"You didn't seem to care what the Deerling wanted when you refused to let her go, Arthur." The old lady smiled. "You are not an especially moral person - at least, not enough to override your selfish wishes."

Arthur grit his teeth. "So are you saying I'm an awful person for bringing Deerling here?!" The nerve of this old lady!

"Of _course_ not." The old lady chuckled, which turned into a heaving cough. "You're a good child, Arthur. You _do_ have a moral compass, and it _definitely_ isn't a weak one. But it isn't what drives you into action."

"What drives me into action, then?!" Arthur was abnormally incensed at this crone's insinuations.

"Curiosity, Arthur." The crone smiled. "Curiosity."

"Curiosity?!"

"You would rescue the Deerling out of moral duty - but would bring her to a Pokemon Center, normally. No, you brought her _here_ because you were curious - a healer in the woods? How interesting!" The old crone coughed. "Oh, dear, I'm not feeling too well."

Arthur was silent - because as he thought about the crone's words, he found that she was right. He built, not because he had a particular _use_ for the things, but because what he built was interesting. The whole reason he was doing to Gym Challenge and Supplying was for the interesting goodies Devon would provide him.

"Now do you understand, Arthur?" The crone had stopped coughing. "You don't just have the drive to learn, but to _experiment_ , to _understand_! That is what drives you beyond your basic emotions and instincts!"

"Why," Arthur started. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are a perfect fit, Arthur."

"Perfect fit?" That was strange. "Perfect fit for what?"

The old crone, though, wasn't looking at him anymore. "Barty, Audie, the Deerling will be alright now." Sure enough, the Deerling stood up on all four legs, looking much better. It looked at Arthur in thanks, before slowly trotting out the door. "She'll be fine, Arthur. Audie, return."

As Audie returned to her ball, he asked the question again. "What am I a perfect fit for, ma'am?"

"For the book. Barty, bring it out." Barty nodded. Then he slowly opened up a small drawer in the old lady's nightstand and brought it before her.

"Oh, it's been a long time since I've taken a look at this." She sighed. "I suppose it's time we get this underway - I'm not going to last for much longer."

Arthur's eyes widened. "You're going to-"

"Die, yes." The old woman waved her hands. "Tell me something I don't know. I've been losing health by the day. By tomorrow, I probably will lose all feeling in my hands. By next week, I'll be nothing but a corpse."

Arthur didn't know what to say.

"So that doesn't leave me much time to choose a successor, Arthur. I'm sure that somewhere in the wide world, there's a better fit for the book. But you are all I have - and to be fair, you probably won't be as bad as I was."

"The book?" Arthur took a look at the ratty old book. It wasn't anything too special - he could sneeze on it, and it would break apart. "What kind of book needs a successor?"

The crone laughed. "Oh, that's - that's rich." The laughs turned into hacking coughs. "If you read it, you'll understand what I mean. Just promise me you'll use the power responsibly, and that you'll make sure you won't give the book to someone who isn't truly worthy."

"I-"

"Promise, Arthur." Her eyes turned soft. "Please."

Arthur gulped. "I - I promise."

The crone sighed. "Thank you, Arthur. That means much to someone like me." She beckoned me over. "Come."

He came over, feeling a strange sense of disbelief. Was - was this old crone crazy or something?

"Put your hand over the cover of the book." Arthur did as she said, feeling remarkably foolish. She put a withered hand over his. "Repeat what I say, word for word."

Arthur nodded, feeling a strange compulsion in him to do as she said.

"Creation is the ultimate gift of the gods," she intoned.

Arthur gulped again. "C-creation is the ultimate gift of the gods."

"I must to protect this knowledge from all that may seek to use it."

What - what is she _saying_?!

Arthur felt the strange compulsion grow. "I must protect this knowledge from all that may seek to use it."

"Whatever I may create, I must write into the book."

"Whatever I may create, I must write into the book."

"So mote it be."

All of a sudden, the compulsion dropped, and Arthur knew it was going to have to be _his_ decision.

Did - did he want this? This was strange and bizarre, and…

…

…

…

.. and he wanted to know more, damn the consequences!

"So mote it be!" He finally intoned, with a sense of finality.

His curiosity was raised, and he would take the fall if need be.

The book flashed a crimson light, before shaking and trembling. Under his wide eyes, it began to morph and shift, eventually turning into what looked like a small PDA, or something like that.

He picked up the device. "This - this was the book? How is it.." He turned to look at the crone, only to whiten.

She didn't have a week left - she didn't even have a moment. She was already dead.

"H-how?!" He cried, confused, as he back uncertainly away. "How - why - she's dead!"

The corpse didn't respond, didn't move, didn't blink. As the seconds ticked by, Arthur was more and more sure that it wasn't a prank or anything like that.

He turned to Spring. _Spring, what just happened_?

' _Report: Unknown female and unidentified psychic are dead_.'

"I know that, Spr-" Something chilled in his stomach and he turned to where the odd psychic type - Barty - had been floating.

Instead, all Arthur found was another corpse, eyes glassy and weak.

"H-how? Why?" That was all he could mutter as he fell to his feet. "Why did - why did she die?!"

' _Possible Explanation: Unknown female energy output incongruous with stature._ '

Arthur somewhat understood the jargon Spring was shouting. "Are you - are you saying that what we just did took too much energy from her?"

' _Answer: Yes._ '

"And she died as a result," Arthur gulped. "It - it killed her, what we just did. Oh, _crap_."

Spring said nothing.

"And - and what about Barty?" Arthur said. "Why did _he_ die? It's not like he used too much energy of his own, right?"

' _Report: No current possible explanations._ '

So Spring was as stumped as Arthur was with Barty's death. Then again, they didn't even know what species Barty was. For all he knew, Barty's species automatically died for some reason when old ladies died near them.

"Anyway, Spring - what about her Pokemon?" It was a pressing issue, he had to admit. There was Audie the Audino, as well as any other Pokemon she had with her. There was no telling when someone would come after them, so Arthur had to make sure they didn't die of starvation.

Arthur went over to the crone's corpse and picked up Audie's Pokeball. When he tried to release Audie, though, he found that it wouldn't open.

Then Arthur smacked his head - the Trainer ID! Pokeballs wouldn't open for you if you didn't have the owner's ID with you.

Arthur brought his own ID. _Spring, find a card like this in the cottage. It should be the same size and shape._

Spring started using the sonar, and Arthur could only hope that he would find it. If he didn't, there would be no way whatsoever to rescue them, at least without help.

Say, why didn't he just go and get help?

' _Report: ID located._ ' Spring reported, and Arthur sighed. HE didn't have to worry about that, though.

"Show me, Spring." Spring floated over to a small shelf in the corner. Once Arthur walked over there, he saw the small ID card on one of the higher shelves.

Using telekinesis, he brought it down and into his hand. Looking at it, he saw a picture of a young lady - one that was unmistakably the old crone in her youth. By it was her name - Sophia Evergarden.

He brought out Audie Pokeball. "Oh, I hope this works," he muttered.

With a small flourish, he released Audie on the ground in front of him and connected his mind to hers.

 _Audie, I_ -

But before he could anything out, Audie bent onto one knee and closed her eyes. An aged but powerful female voice rung into his ears, causing him to wince.

' _From this day forth_ ,' Audie began. ' _I pledge my heart, body, and soul to Arthur Bell. May he be pleased with my service until the Tome is passed to a new successor_.'

… _what?_

Audie opened her eyes. ' _Master Arthur, what is it that you wish to call me?_ '

 _M-Master?! I - I'm not your master!_ Arthur protested, confused. _Sophia was your master._

' _She was, until she passed the Tome on to you, Master Arthur._ ' Audie said easily. ' _I, along with the Tome, am passed through the successorship. Master Arthur, what is it you wish to call me?_ '

Audie was passed down? What the…

 _Audie, how old are you?!_

' _Several millennia, Master Arthur. Do you wish to continue calling me Audie?_ '

Several _millennia_?! HOW?!

 _Audie - Audie is fine_ , he finally managed to get out. _Isn't Audie your name, though?_

Audie shook her head. ' _Audie was the name given to me by Sophia Evergarden, the previous successor. My name is unimportant, only what you wish to call me, Master Arthur_.'

I gulped. _Um - Audie is fine with me_. It wasn't a half-bad name, honestly. And he'd keep it like that, if only in memory of Sophia.

Audie nodded. ' _Understood. What would you like me to do, Master Arthur_.'

Arthur shook his head. Time to get back on track, and figure out what to do with Audie later. _Audie, did Sophia own any other Pokemon other than Barty?_

' _Yes - however, they have all perished with Sohpia's passing, as they were Sophia's creations._ ' Audie explained. ' _There is no need to worry about them anymore, Master Arthur._ '

Creations? Didn't say Sohpia say something about creations when they were doing the succession thing?

Arthur sat down. This - this was all too much.

' _Question: What is our next objective?_ ' Spring asked.

"I - I don't know, Spring. This - all I wanted to do was help a Deerling, and now I'm dealing with - with all of _this_!" His head ached as he tried to process it all. "But - but I suppose we should report this to the police. They'll be interes-"

His head pulsed with agony. A loud, agonizing voice screamed in his head. His own.

"I must protect this knowledge from all that may seek to use it."

Arthur grit his teeth. "I - I can't tell anyone, huh."

What did he get himself _into_?!

He looked at Sophia's still yet warm body. If nothing else, he could give her a proper burial.

"Spring, Audie, help me bury Sophia and the rest of her… creations… ," he commanded. "She deserves better than to be left to rot.

' _Report: Understood_.'

' _Understood, Master Arthur._ '

With that, they got to work, dragging the bodies into a field. It took a while, but with Mirage's help (she seemed to like Audie), they managed to dig a few graves for them.

Arthur didn't know if Sophia had any family. He didn't know if the vows would allow him to find out.

Arthur did a quick search on proper funeral rites because Ghost-type Pokemon tended to get upset if the rites weren't done. Once he said the various prayers and such, the bodies were buried.

Soon, Arthur found himself standing next to Sophia's grave. He didn't know what he was supposed to do next.

What - what was he doing, before all this happened - before the Deerling?

He was - right, he was going to Mauville.

"Come on, guys, let's go."

* * *

Arthur signed in to the Mauville Pokemon Center, finally relieved. It had taken a couple more days, but he had arrived. He let himself have a small smile.

That smile turned into a frown, though, as he felt the PDA jostle around in his bag - or, as Audie had called it, the Tome.

The night of Sophia's death, he had pulled out the PDA and attempted to look at it. Strangely, he had found it password-protected. Considering it was a book until then, Arthur found that decidedly strange.

At that point, Arthur set himself to cracking it, since he had _no_ clue as to what it was. He had asked Audie about it, but she had no idea as well.

' _The Tome has had several protections in the past. They change with every user - this must be another, Master Arthur._ ' Her eyes were downcast. ' _I must apologize for my inability, Master Arthur_.'

Arthur shook his head. "There's no problem - I 'll do my best to crack it."

Unfortunately, it hadn't been that easy. The password was insanely strong - Arthur couldn't tell if he was making progress or not toward cracking it. He decided to stave off any other question toward Audie until he managed to break through it, setting it as a personal challenge for himself.

Speaking of Audie, he still had no idea what to do with her. It felt weird, having _another_ Pokemon on his team. He didn't know if Audie could battle, for starters - and he wasn't sure he'd be comfortable sending her out.

After all, she knew _no_ attacking moves and had _no_ personal wish to fight. She would do it, of course, if he asked, but Arthur didn't want to force her to.

Then Arthur had a bright idea - Audino were generally good healer Pokemon, due to their ears and movesets. From that point on, he had Audie heal Spring and Mirage, making sure that they were able to train after fighting each day.

Arthur wouldn't have Audie fight - instead, Audie became more of a right-hand than anything doing anything he was too busy to deal with at the moment. Audie didn't seem to mind this, either. She also gave rather good advice, too, when he needed it.

As of now, he, Mirage, and Audie were getting rather close to Mauville.

' _Master Arthur, man is walking toward us at this very moment_.' Audie reported, causing Arthur to snap to attention. ' _What would you like me to do?_ '

 _Calm down, Audie_. Arthur rolled his eyes. _There's no need to do anything - we'll just cross paths and go our own way_.

"Why, hello!" Arthur's eyes widened as he immediately threw that plan out the window.

"Alex?!"

Alex waved at him. "Where have you been, Arthur?! I've been waiting for you for hours now!"

Arthur flushed. Right, today was the day he was supposed to meet Alex to get his reward. He had forgotten ever since the succession debacle. Well, he wasn't _too_ late - he had at least that on his side.

Alex smiled. "Anyway, how's it been going, Arthur? I see you've captured an Audino for yourself - I don't think they're very strong battling Pokemon, though.

Arthur shook his head. "No, Audie just heals us up after battles and helps me out with anything I need to do."

 _Wave, Audie_.

' _As you wish, Master Arthur_.' Audie waved to Alex who waved back.

"Nice to meet you, Audie!" Alex turned back to Arthur. "Other than Audie, how many Pokemon did you capture for us?"

"A lot," he answered. "There were plenty to capture, but I did my best."

"As expected," Alex nodded. "Thank you, as always. You have been one of the biggest Suppliers for us - you've brought us thousands of dollars in profit!"

Arthur's mouth gaped wide open. "Th-thousands?!"

Alex nodded. "Yep - not to mention the Gym Badges. And, you know, I think this all deserves a special reward."

Arthur's hands were sweating. "What- what is it?!" He was practically salivating at this point - he had built this up in his mind so far that he was expecting something incredible, something _spectacular_.

Alex held out a Pokeball, and released it, and out came an…

… Eevee.

"You're - you're kidding, right?" Arthur looked at Alex skeptically as the Eevee scratched itself unenthusiastically. "I - If I wanted an Eevee, I would have just used the one I caught for you."

Alex shook his head. "No, Arthur, this _is_ the one you caught for us."

"Er - how is this a _reward_?" It seemed more punishment than anything - another mouth he would have to feed. Sure, Eevee's evolved forms were strong, but he didn't want them. As far as Arthur could tell, this was a re-gift.

Alex sighed. "I knew you would say that - but there's a reason why I'm giving this to you, and why this Eevee is so important." Alex kneeled next to the Eevee and beckoned Arthur down. "Come and look at this."

Arthur kneeled as well, as Alex brushed aside the Eevee's ruff to unveil a small line of stitches in the Eevee's skin.

"What are these?" Arthur gingerly touched them. "I don't remember the Eevee being injured in this area - did you guys make these?"

"Devon did." Alex instead answered.

Devon?!

"Why would Devon do this?" Arthur scratched his head before something occurred to him. "Alex, what's _under_ the stitches?"

Alex smiled. "Devon's new device - the Bonding Band." Alex brought out a picture of a thin, black circular band on his PokeNav. "The new future of Infinity Energy, the most likely source of free and clean energy in the future, and the next evolution in Pokemon-human relations."

What Alex was saying was mind-boggling. "The… Bonding Band?"

Alex nodded. "Do you know how Infinity Energy is made, Arthur?"

Arthur wracked his brains for a second. "If I remember correctly," he started. "Infinity Energy is made when a Pokemon and its trainer have a special bond, right?"

Alex nodded. "Yep - the power of connection. Usually, this energy dissipates into the ambient environment. But moves like Return, evolutions like that of a Pichu into a Pikachu, and Mega Evolutions all use it to their advantage. Devon has been using it as a cheap source of energy for the past ten years or so."

Arthur slowly was getting a small inking. "And the band…?"

"The Bonding Band collects the Infinity Energy generated by you and the Eevee and will use it to power itself. We'll measure how much energy it has at its disposal, to see how Devon can maximize the efficiency of the Bonding Band." Alex's grin was splitting his face. "If all goes well, the Bonding Band will turn into an easy and portable power source for everyone to use at their leisure. Energy will be _free_ , Arthur - _free_!"

Arthur's mouth was gaping, and he was looking at his new Eevee in a new light. "And it's already built?"

"It's in its testing stages - and _you're_ a tester, Arthur." Alex smiled. "Now do you get how this is a reward?"

Arthur nodded, then frowned as a thought entered his head. "Hold on - to generate Infinity Energy, you need a bond. What if I can't get a bond with the Eevee." After all, it was an _Eevee_ \- nothing special, and Arthur didn't have any particular memories or attachments to this Eevee.

Alex, though, shook his head. "That's the second thing - the reason why the development of the Bonding Band took so long because we wanted to guarantee that we would generate Infinity Energy. The result - the future of the bonding between humans and Pokemon."

"What do you mean?" Arthur scratched his head. "You can't just _generate_ a bond - doesn't it take time to build?"

Alex shook his head. "The Pokemon Rangers disproved that long ago, Arthur. Devon used some of Ranger technology to create something that worked like a Styler - that took seven years, mind you."

Arthur nervously pocketed the Styler he had reverse-engineered in a month.

"The result - we created a sort of 'mind sharing' experience. It will be something that will continuously affect the Eevee's mind, causing it to come to like you more and more and grow a closer bond with you." Alex coughed. "We're still testing that piece of technology, but it _should_ work - at least, it worked in a laboratory setting. Just treat the Eevee nicely and the Bonding Band should take care of the rest."

Arthur sighed in relief.

"One last thing, Arthur." Alex handed me a bracelet. "Put this around your wrist - it'll connect to your nervous system. It'll read your thoughts, to best determine how Eevee should bond with you. Make sure not to take it off, okay?"

Arthur was briefly concerned with his privacy. Still, he trusted Alex - and what would he want with Arthur's thoughts, anyway? He put the bracelet around his wrist as the Eevee looked at him with curiosity.

Alex handed Arthur the Pokeball. "Make sure you take good care of Eevee - Devon wants the readings to be as accurate and reliable as possible. Once you get two more Gym Badges, I'll get you your next device, alright?"

Alex waved as he walked off. "See ya, Arthur! Make sure to send me the Pokemon you captured soon!" Arthur waved him off.

Arthur took a second to consider what just happened as he sat on the Pokemon Center's seat, Audie, Mirage, and the Eevee sitting next to him. Within a few days, the size of his team had doubled.

Arthur sighed. What a crazy life.

* * *

 **So ends the Mechanic's Journey - for now, at least.**

 **This is the second time I'm canceling a story prematurely, and I can't help but wonder if I'm ever going to finish a story. This doesn't mean that the story is over, not in the least. But I have three stories going on right now, and college will start in a few weeks. My pace will slow down, undoubtedly, and my energy will be sapped by my other responsibilities.**

 **Because of that, I've decided to put one of my fics on indefinite hiatus, and this was the one I liked the least. Of course, there were more reasons than just preferences. The story, as I'm leaving it, is a mess. The trouble with fanfiction, among a myriad of issues, is that you give the product piece by piece. And unless you have perfectly meticulous planning the entire way, you can find yourself with plot threads and characters that never go anywhere.**

 **Remember George, from the sixth chapter? I planned for him to be a sort of mentor for Arthur, giving him crucial advice. That never occurred, as I simply didn't remember his existence - not to mention Arthur being rather studious and resourceful. What about Gigant Inc? They were going to be important - but I have yet to even incorporate them into the story beyond a simple mention at the end of Chapters 2 and 7.**

 **Let's not even talk about that the title of the fic, 'The Mechanic's Journey' only really starts factoring in at the two-thirds mark of what I have so far.**

 **Helen was supposed to be bombastic and supportive, not a total wreck. Amber was the new traveling companion - now she's a spy. There's a story running away from you, and then there's a story crapping itself in the process.**

 **This problem downed my Gamer fic, among other things, and is currently burying my PMD fic. My Harry Potter fic is alive... for now.**

 **Then there's the matter of the whole plotline - which is a mess. I won't say anything about what I planned for the future of this fic, because if I ever decided to revive it then I'm going to want some things hidden. But as it is, it isn't the best thing I've thought of.**

 **For now, this fic is taking a nap, while I get some more motivation to write it and figure out how I'm going to write it.**

 **That's not even counting the reception it's gotten. Other than my friend reviewing it (thanks, Readerlove), the second half of the story has had either a non-existent reception or a negative, hate-filled one. Even if it's some of the most asinine, ridiculous criticism imaginable, it still tells me that most people who care enough about the story to actually write something about it hate it.**

 **That doesn't bode particularly well.**

 **Thanks to all of my followers and favoriters for bearing with me and this crap-filled puzzle of a story for this long.**

 **For now, goodbye.**


End file.
